Where Nightshade Blooms
by anoceaninthesun
Summary: Bylara and Byleth Eisner never expected that when they met three young nobles in need of help, it was really destiny come to call. Whisked away to the famous Garreg Mach Monastery, they quickly learn their new life comes with the future of Fodlan attached. Plus, the cheeky goddess in their heads kind of makes it hard to forget. Full summary inside
1. Chapter 1

**Originally posted on AO3 not long ago. Now posting it here too. I fell in love with Three Houses (though I'm still not 100% done playing every route) and was inspired to do a Twin Byleth AU. So this story has the dual protagonists M!Byleth and FM!Byleth (Bylara). As one might assume, due to that major change as well as others, this isn't a direct novelization of canon game events. Canon is included to a point, then there's divergence. Pre-timeskip, the Byleths are 17. I know their age in game is supposed to be a bit of a mystery due to the circumstances surrounding their birth but here, Jeralt was telling the truth when he said he didn't have a child (or children here) until some years after leaving the Church. **

**Rating is subject to change depending on how the fic progresses. **

**Main themes are adventure/drama/angst/romance. In regards to the last one, all I ever really write is slow burn so expect that here. Plot and character development will take precedence at first. However, later on it does get a bit self-indulgent in that there may be quite a few love interests, namely with the characters I really like but haven't seen enough content for yet. I'm thinking at least one Byleth will get a small harem and I'm partial to it being FM!Byleth because I feel like right now there's more romance being written for M!Byleth. **

**Summary: **Twin Mercenaries Byleth and Bylara are content with their life as hired blades, traveling with their father and his sellswords. But helping three young nobles launches them down a new path, one that leads to Garreg Mach Monastery. As they navigate political schemes and colorful students, persistent dreams and an intertwined destiny leave the future of the country in their hands for the shaping. Luckily the Goddess saw fit to give them each other to rely on, and a nifty ability that puts time on their side.

* * *

The ground was muddy and trodden, not even the smallest blade of grass poking through as thousands of booted feet marched across the great expanse to meet their adversaries. Steel sang through the valley as men fell from horses and others faced their end from the tip of a spear.

The whinnies of pegasi maneuvering around arrow projectiles as their riders fought joined the cacophony of noise. The size and intensity of the battle was at once horrifying and awe-inspiring, a once in a lifetime sight.

Through it all, a weapon glowing hotter than coal pierced the dark, smoke-charred sky, preceding the arrival of its fearsome owner. A grizzled man in pieces of armor, dirt marring his leathery skin, landed with a thud.

Dazed, enemy troops gave him a wide berth before regaining their mettle and charging forward to close the gap. The warrior rose, lashing out with his strange blade. Red light shone like the magic of a mage's spell, and where the segments of the blade traveled, soldiers fell. Through the path of the opponents he had felled, a woman stood, so poised and beautiful she looked terribly out of place amid the chaos and death on the field.

He charged at her, not batting an eye as a soldier fell at her feet, her name falling from his tongue as he perished.

She drew her blade and held it ready, pale green eyes flinty, her full lips pulled in a small scowl. With heavy feet he ran for her, cutting down the men brave enough to try to intercept him. Dawn broke as their eyes met, warm sunlight falling over them, somehow only making both appear more ominous.

Their single combat was a series of furious blows, neither gaining the true upper hand as they met in a shower of sparks with each heavy swing of their weapons. The fact that they were evenly matched drove their rages, until the man began to drive the lady warrior back, causing her to lose ground rapidly. Snarling, he flicked his blade, the orange sword splitting apart as it flew towards his winded adversary. She slid to the side in the last moment and instead of piercing her stomach, the sword snapped her belt. Another flick and he had wrapped the coils of his weapon around the shaft of her own.

She tossed her blade aside, and his, still coiled around it, came with it. Off guard, he had no recourse as she ran for him, delivering a punishing blow to his jaw and then leaping to smash both feet into his chest, bringing him to the ground. Scrambling to sit up proved a bad move when she brought a foot slamming down on his chest. Her blade followed soon after, and she leaned down into his face, beautiful and deadly.

"Tell me Nemesis, do you recall the Red Canyon?" she breathed through clenched teeth. His gold eye widened, recognition briefly flickering through it. "You die for that!" Her blade drove through him with a squelch. "Die!" He groaned, beginning to choke blood. "Die!"

Another stab. Sunrise broke on the battlefield, illuminating the body of the nearly-dead man underneath her, and her face pinched in pain. "You took…everything I loved!" The final strike held the most vehemence, cutting the death rattle short.

Panting hard, she came back to herself to see both armies were only watching them. Finally, cheers and raised banners signaled the end of the battle, and her mint leaf hair fell over her shoulders as she turned solemn eyes to the blade her opponent had left behind. Delicately cradling it to her face, heedless of the crimson still staining it, she sighed. "He's gone now, Mother." she promised.

* * *

Light and sprinkles of color warped the image of the quieting battlefield, flashing fragments in fractured hues sucked at the edges of the scene.

"Hey. Time to wake up." A gruff but caring voice, one so familiar it was recognizable to them anywhere. No longer on that battlefield, but in camp, where their father and other mercenaries were cleaning up and preparing breakfast.

Groggy, Bylara cracked her eyes open, her vision blurry with sleep but still able to mostly make out the form of the person on the bedroll beside hers. His midnight blue mop of hair, the exact color of her own, fell into his peaceful face. "Brother," she smacked at his arm. "Morning."

Between the two of them, she had always been the lighter sleeper, and so it was no surprise when her twin merely turned his back to her and slumbered on.

Her eyes narrowed. _'Is that the game?' _ She was very familiar with her brother's sleeping habits, rolling to pounce onto him, and unsurprised when his reflexes kicked in and he pinned her with a grunt.

"This game grows old…" he muttered, eyes half-lidded.

Their arms grappled, keeping him from pressing his full weight onto her.

"So does your oversleeping!" she returned, tossing him away from her and watching his larger body roll across the ground until he stopped on the grass, eyes to the sky…and right at their father's feet.

Jeralt sighed, hands on his hips. His dark eyes swept over them. They didn't look a thing like their father, who still had his butternut hair and beard without a streak of gray. Bylara and Byleth had come to the conclusion that they must both get their coloring from their mother.

Their mercenary skills, though, were entirely from Jeralt. He'd taught them all they knew, and even now they still learned watching how efficiently he could cut a line through a wave of enemies. There was no sign of him slowing down soon. In fact, aside from the lines carved around his mouth and eyes and the few, thin scars, there were very few indicators of his age, and it was a mystery they had long since stopped pondering on.

"What exactly am I supposed to do with the two of you?"

Byleth sat up, running a hand through his hair to dislodge any blades of grass.

Bylara sat cross-legged, turning her nose up. "Teach your son that a mercenary who sleeps deeply is asking to be gutted."

Byleth's eyes lazily drifted her way. "I would wager you only woke up slightly before me…"

"Alright, alright," Jeralt groaned. "Sorry I asked. You never do get tired of antagonizing each other, do you?" Even as he spoke, a barely-there smile was on his lips.

Byleth rose and stretched, arms straight above his head as his back popped. Bylara stood with her legs shoulder-width apart and leaned to the side in a stretch. First the left arm above the head, then the right.

"Any unusual dreams to report?"

"I dreamt about a battle unlike anything imaginable…Thousands and thousands of soldiers fighting in a big empty valley." Bylara found herself saying absently. "And the sword…"

"I dreamt of a girl with green hair on a throne." Byleth stated.

As always, their father met their words with a concerned furrow of the brow. "If it's the same battle you've been dreaming of all this time, then I have to say I'm at a loss. I haven't heard of a battle of that magnitude happening since the war nearly three hundred years ago." He turned to Byleth. "And your mystery girl…you've described her to me before. I still don't think I've ever met anyone like that."

Byleth's face didn't move, but she could tell he was still in deep thought. Their father could too; he was too adapt at seeing right through the both of them. "In any case, just put that out of your minds for now. The battlefield is no place for idle thoughts," They nodded slowly in agreement. Jeralt began to walk camp and they followed, "Risking your life is part of the job for mercenaries like us. Letting your mind wander is a sure way to get yourself killed."

Bylara didn't need to look to know her brother was staring straight at her now. How rude. So she was prone to daydreaming from time to time. It had still been _her _that once saved _him _from an out of control Pegasus while he was off in his own world.

"Ok, time to get moving. Our next job is in the Kingdom." Stopping short, Bylara stared at her father's back in silent surprise. The Kingdom? That far? Just as quiet, Byleth was considering their destination too.

"I told you before, it's far from here. So we'll need to leave at dawn." Jeralt continued.

"Of course." Byleth said, smoothly.

"Uh, sure…" Bylara nodded.

"Hm?" Jeralt glanced over his shoulder. "Good grief. Everyone is already waiting around for us."

The twins bowed shallowly. "Sorry…" they muttered.

"Just…" He rubbed at the back of his head, right above his short braid. "Byleth you can make sure the horses are all ready for the trip. Bylara, why don't you go down to the river and fill up all the canteens. It'll probably be a hot one today. I'll go make sure there's something left for you to have breakfast on the road."

All in agreement, they set to work on their respective tasks. Bylara passed their bedrolls and packed them up, then took the canteens for the short trek to the river nearby.

Meandering through camp, she got plenty of smiles and greetings from various members of their party. These men had seen her and her brother grow up, watched them become the fearsome Ashen Demon Duo they were today.

Bylara hummed to herself, a tune she wasn't quite sure where she picked up, coming to the last copse of trees that separated the camp from the riverside. The birds were starting up their daily songs, and the crisp grass underneath her feet smelled ripe in the April sun.

Careful to avoid rocks, she crouched by the calm river and uncapped the first container. It didn't take long to fill, and she replaced the top and set it on the bank beside her, reaching for another. Bylara had just finished unscrewing that canteen with steady hands, when the trees rustled and hurried footsteps reached her ears.

She'd think nothing of it normally. After all, they had made camp with plenty of other people. But the short pants that accompanied the quick pace was worrisome. Abandoning the canteen, she got to her feet, giving the forest an eagle-eyed glance.

There! She gasped. Someone was definitely running closer. One minute she thought she saw a flash to her right, then her left. Whirling around in a circle, she reached for the blade at her hip, thankful that her father had drilled caution into them. Even with a quick trip to the river, the tides could swiftly turn.

"Show yourself." She demanded, not expecting for the declaration to be followed by her on the ground and wheezing moments later.

Some yellow flash had collided with her, the sturdy weight of a warm body pushing her flat on her back. "Well hey there," a boy grinned down at her, the small braid at the side of his face tickling her throat as he sat up. "Don't mind if I drop in, do you?"

Bylara studied his playful green eyes, tanned skin, and the messy style of his short, dark hair. She'd never seen this character around the campsite or the village just beyond it before. Managing to wiggle her arm free, she took up the sword she'd dropped and tapped him lightly, careful of the tip. "Get off."

He obliged, even helping her onto her feet without waiting for permission. "Yeah, sorry about that. Not my best entrance. But kind of in a hurry," He glanced behind him and frowned. Curiosity overcoming her aggravation, Bylara followed his eyes. "I've been separated from my traveling party, and now it looks like my friends too. We got chased by some bandits that saw our clothes and decided we'd make good targets."

Bylara took the chance to appraise him, noticing for the first time that while he was indeed wearing a short yellow piece of fabric that tucked into his shirt and rested over his shoulder, his sleek black uniform was far too striking to belong to anyone other than a person of high standing. Too young to be an official, but maybe a noble? But his blasé attitude…

"Think you and your party might be able to lend a hand?" Again his demeanor was so casual. So unlike what she'd expect from a noble. "Well, you know, assuming you've got one."

"I have one." she said. "They're just up ahead. And if you and your friends are so valuable to them that they're chasing you down, then the village near here could be in trouble."

"I wouldn't doubt it," he shrugged. "The bandit's leader seemed like an unhinged, relentless guy. Not the type that would lose sleep over hurting whoever got in his way."

Bylara shook her head, already starting to jog away from the bank. "Let's go regroup with my party. Maybe your friends have already found my father and the others."

When she glanced to her side, she noticed that not only was he easily following, but now holding a simple bow at the ready, the quiver of arrows on his back noticeable for the first time.

At least she wasn't dealing with someone who was totally defenseless.


	2. Chapter 2

The horses were raring to go. Fed and watered, they swatted their tails and stamped the ground gently, sensing another day of traveling ahead. Byleth offered up some hay to a tan mare who had been recovering from a minor hind leg injury sustained in battle, and she nibbled it gratefully.

Satisfied, he let his thoughts wonder to the next assignment. Anything could be waiting for them in the Kingdom. The life of a mercenary was often unpredictable as well as perilous. His father was right. Wandering thoughts were a good way to get hurt or worse.

And yet…the dream seemed so real, the image of the girl he'd spoken to, who had asked him his name and told him they shared a birthday, was as vivid as a fond memory.

He should probably be more concerned about what it all meant, and if he were in danger of losing his sanity, but Bylara was just as adamant about the dreams she had of war lately, and that made him feel less concerned over it. His sister had always succeeded in making him feel more at ease by merit of the fact that she was right there with him.

From the time he was small, Byleth could remember how people would remark to Jeralt that his son was an odd one. In towns they traveled through, Bylara was usually the one invited to join in games with the village children, and would persuade them to include him. He didn't doubt he was peculiar, if almost everyone said he was. But at least his sister had never minded.

Byleth patted at the mare's neck in farewell, knowing it was time to tell Jeralt preparations were complete. As he'd said, they had already kept everyone waiting. But when he wandered away from where the animals were kept tied to posts, he noticed urgency had descended over the camp in the short time he was preoccupied.

When a newer member of their band rushed by, Byleth caught him by the elbow. "What is it?"

The man whose name he thought he remembered as Dalton, stared up at him with wide eyes, then shook his head. "There's been a disturbance. Some travelers have been attacked by a powerful group of bandits who are in pursuit. We're meant to meet them when they come from the east and cut them off before they can attack the village."

Byleth instinctively reached for the sword safely sheathed at his hip, eyes narrowed. "And Jeralt?"

"Over there!" he pointed a shaky finger off in the distance and Byleth could just barely make out his father's orange jerkin, as he stood beside what appeared to be a young man and woman.

Letting Dalton go, he sprinted past mercenaries now armed to the teeth, his solid footsteps alerting Jeralt and the others.

His father didn't waste time. "I take it you heard?"

Byleth gave a single nod. "Bandits out for blood. Keep them away from Remire Village."

"And protect these two," he motioned at the boy and girl who must have been right in the middle of the commotion.

"We thank you in advance for your aid," the young woman said, her voice clear and confident. Her lavender eyes appraised him openly, and he did the same, taking in her long silvery hair, the fancy black blazer and matching skirt complimented by the short red fabric draped over her right shoulder. She had such a regal bearing, so delicate and feminine at a glance. But, she clutched a battle axe like she knew how to use it. Catching where his eyes had traveled, she raised her weapon to hold over her shoulder. "You'll find we're capable of helping as well."

"Yes," The boy with her was lean, blonde and equipped with a well-polished lance. "You're defending us even though we've barged into your camp unexpectedly. Assisting is the least we can do." he sighed, his blue eyes turning downward. "Though I'm a bit worried for our friend. He ran first as a decoy, you see—"

"So you guys found help too, huh?"

The group looked over to see Bylara and another unfamiliar young man jogging up to them. While his sister was already on her guard with sword out, the yellow-clad stranger radiated laxness.

"Claude!" His friends gasped.

"What a relief." The girl began, "Going off on your own like that…we feared the bandits would catch up to you before we did."

The sun-kissed boy, Claude, held his arms out, a bow gripped in one hand. "As you can see, I'm all in one piece. I even managed to make a new friend as a matter of fact."

Bylara closed her eyes and said nothing, a sign that she didn't deem his statement worth refuting.

"You'll have to save the reunion for another time," Jeralt grunted. "Looks like they're here."

Sure enough, a burly man in leather and furs charged from the woods leading a large group of rowdy fighters, roaring their battle cry.

"Gimme those rich brats!" The leader snarled, zeroing in on Claude and his friends.

"Here we go." Byleth and Bylara turned to their father, seeing another member of the party approach with the reins of a saddled horse in hand. Jeralt climbed atop the creature, a strong chestnut steed he had rode for the past five years. "I'm putting you two in charge of commands. I don't have to remind you to take this seriously."

"Yes!"

"Let's go," Bylara murmured. "I'm guessing that's not just for show," she gestured at the bow in Claude's hands. "So we'll start by having you shoot first."

Claude deftly flipped an arrow between his fingers before notching it in no time flat. "Sure, just say the word."

Byleth found himself sizing the boy up again. Being raised the way they were, these situations of rescuing people from bloodthirsty brigands was nothing new. He had no idea what the trio's background was like, but Claude's approach to a life and death situation was certainly...calm.

"Aim for him first," his sister commanded, gesturing at the first ruffian to weave through the mercenary's defenses, who was coming at them fast.

Claude fired without question, toppling the man with an arrow to the thigh. Byleth rushed in, cutting him down dead before he could jerk the arrow free.

"Nice," the archer praised. "I think we might be in capable hands here." He called, looking in the direction of the two clad in blue and red respectively.

"Yes, but stay focused, Claude. That's not even the first wave." The girl scolded.

"The forest!" Jeralt ran a second bandit through so fast the man was bleeding out before he had time to see the wound.

"Right," Byleth agreed. "We have a better chance of maintaining the advantage if we attack from the forest. Time to take positions."

No one questioned the logic, their new allies following once again. They hid themselves among the trees at the edge of camp and listened as the brigand's leader loudly cursed over losing sight of them.

"I must say you're both adapt at thinking quickly," The white-haired girl whispered. "I admire that kind of resourcefulness."

"They're coming this way," The blonde pointed out. Through the foliage they could see a handful of enemies had fanned out to search for them while the others took on Jeralt and his mercenaries directly.

How pesky. But they weren't in trouble yet. In fact…

"Ambush?" Bylara asked.

Byleth had never questioned how easily his sister and he shared their thoughts. "Ambush."

When a scarred man missing half of one ear came cutting through the trees with his axe, Bylara popped out, using her Combat Art and dropping low. She stood and spun behind him, her blade swift as it flickered out, coming away red. Some blood dripped onto her boot, and she only spared it a passing glance, swallowing as she flicked the tip of her blade and pulled it away from the body.

"Incredible." He heard one of the three behind him say.

"Huddle in close," he told them, and they all complied, forming a tight triangular unit where he and Bylara took the front, the blonde and girl behind them, and Claude taking point.

It was just in time, because apparently the fallen bandit's comrades had discovered their location, rushing over to try and overwhelm them. Bylara and Byleth fought the first wave, the other three following their lead.

When Byleth became distracted guarding his sister's blind spot, the lavender-eyed girl used the reach of her axe to strike down a bandit who tried to take advantage, and he turned in time to see the man cough roughly before dropping to the ground.

Claude used his position from the back to hit opponents who had forgotten about the archer, covering them from the rear.

_'Not bad.'_ Byleth thought. All three were holding their own well.

Bylara cried out when the man she'd been swordfighting moved away suddenly, throwing her off balance. She stumbled, momentum bringing her forward and in range of an unblocked attack.

Thankfully, the blonde intercepted the next blow with his lance, pushing the weapon away and allowing Bylara to get her bearings enough to stab the bandit while he was preoccupied. He fell back a step, arrow lodged through his heart soon after.

His sister quietly acknowledged the help of both boys by briefly looking them in the eyes. "Thanks,"

"Certainly," the blonde responded. "I believe we've driven them back for now. But the leader remains at large."

He was right. In all the fighting, the leader had managed to avoid coming into harm's way while sending his underlings to face them. The saying went that there was no honor among thieves, and Byleth supposed that extended to brigands too.

"What?" Claude guffawed, lowering his bow. "Is he seriously gonna chase us down and swear to take our lives, then wait for us to confront him?"

"Father can take care of the others, but let's go corner the head dastard and end all this."

Byleth took the lead this time, passing Jeralt. Silent understanding passed between father and son, and confidence bloomed in his breast. Finding the leader wasn't hard, as he stood in plain sight, barking orders and swinging a large axe. When he saw the five teenagers approaching him backed by some of Jeralt's men, a wicked grin touched his cracked lips.

"Killing all of ya is gonna be the most rewarding hunt I've had in ages!"

For a bandit, he was formidable. A definitive cut above all the others they had already faced in the battle. But he and Bylara were known for being skilled beyond their years, and in the end he underestimated them a little too much.

He fell in the dirt, axe landing beside him. Stunned, his subordinates eased away.

"Are you three alright?" Byleth asked, feeling the throb of a wound to his shoulder. Superficial. With some basic healing magic it would be good as new.

The boy in the blue cape wiped sweat from his brow and smiled politely, awe swirling in the depths of his azure eyes. "Yes, due in no small part to you. I have witnessed it with my own eyes, and yet it is still hard to believe you are ordinary mercenaries when you possess such advanced skills."

Claude came up behind his friend, flinging an arm around his shoulder and leaning forward. "Gotta agree with His Princeliness here. The two of you look like you're the same age as us, but what we saw out there," He finished with an impressed whistle.

The soft crunch of heels had Byleth turning to see the red-clad girl had just set her axe down and was walking over. "You both have strange auras about you," she noted, curiosity flickering behind her expression. "And you commanded us well on the battlefield."

Slowly, her lips pulled into a soft smile. He was familiar enough with fleeting smiles, being that his own were closely guarded, to know when someone else seldom gave them. A small part of him felt compelled to return it.

"Great work," Jeralt rode over, staring down in approval. "You handled yourselves even better than expected out there. And I see our friends aren't any worse for wear."

"We only did what we always would." Bylara responded, both to their father and the three young fighters. "Though, it's nice that we were able to provide you backup."

"I'd say it was the other way around," Claude laughed, letting go of the lance-wielder. "I mean without you we'd be—"

"Damn it!" The roar was loud enough to make the blonde flinch. Without much warning, the downed brigand had surged to his feet, axe gripped tight, his face crazed as he went for the girl.

She was still weaponless, her own axe too far to reach in time. Byleth knew what he had to do, but it really came as no surprise when his sister happened on the same idea. They both threw themselves to defend her as the axe came down.

And then, quite literally, time stopped.

* * *

**I know the game is still pretty much new and not that many entries exist yet but I'm still really excited and expecting a lot of fun writing this. You may notice that FM!Byleth gets a lot of the POV for a while and that's mainly because I always prefer writing female character POVs. Although when doing third-person writing ultimately I use alternating POVs to give the story a better sense of depth. So M!Byleth will be just as important and plenty of the other characters have voices in this as well. No worries. **

**Although it's early, I really would appreciate people dropping some comments. Thanks.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Please note, if you're very attached to the idea of certain parts of canon (avatar's age, a particular route's ending) then I will say you probably won't be able to get into this fic. I want to restate this has heavy ****canon divergence****. The fact that there are two Byleths should tip that off, but in case it didn't—this**_** isn't**_** a direct novelization of the game.**

* * *

The shrill, echoing voice registered even before Bylara had processed the ubiquitous inkiness in the unknown space. Byleth stood beside her, unfazed by the turn of events. "_What_ were you thinking?"

The voice was young, belonging to a girl she was sure she had never set eyes on before, and yet knew instantly from her brother's past recounting. Hands on her hips, she floated several inches off the ground, an impressive scowl marring her round face. Bushy emerald-colored hair hung down past her hips with two thick braids entwined with pink and white ribbon tucked behind sharply pointed ears.

Her head was adorned with an elaborate golden headpiece befitting royalty. Though the heart-shaped design across her forehead had an endearing, sweet quality. "What did you hope to accomplish with that little stunt!" she continued.

As she came closer, hovering around them in an agitated circle, Bylara thought she felt the billowing navy dress brush her leg. "It's like you're trying to get yourselves killed! Get_ me_ killed!" After the heavy rush of air falling past her lips evened, she seemed to take a break, composing herself just as quickly as she had flown into a rage.

Bylara quirked a brow, glancing at Byleth, who was tilting his head and calmly watching the girl. Seeing her chance, she spoke up, "Excuse me…but where…no, who are you exactly?"

Byleth had described her, but even he never indicated her identity. And now that she knew beyond a doubt that the girl in his head wasn't a lucid figment of his imagination—and it was very unlike him to be so imaginative in the first place—she needed some answers.

She'd thought it was a reasonable enough question. But when the floating girl's previously relaxed shoulders squared again and she cast her a long, sharp look of those big, green eyes, Bylara felt surprisingly small.

She was comparatively shorter than the men of her family, than the men of the camp and, well, smaller than a lot of people. However, she had definite height over this girl, although at the moment it didn't really feel like it.

"_Who am I_?!" she scoffed, round eyes growing rounder. "Who I am has no bearing in this matter!" She said it with such finality that Bylara didn't dare push.

Her brother leaned over to whisper. "She doesn't seem to know. It's a bit of a touchy subject."

Noted.

"Don't whisper about me as if I'm not standing, er, floating right here!" The girl admonished. Squinting, she floated right into Bylara's face. "I see. You are undoubtedly the sister Byleth has mentioned. To look at the two of you side by side is to view two sides of the same coin."

Because she appeared to have calmed, and because she seemed so pleased with the rather (obvious) observation, Bylara said nothing, and attention was turned back toward her brother. "You were reckless. Needlessly so. But, it's fine."

Bylara blinked. Then why had it caused such anger initially?

"After all, if you don't know the value of your lives, how are you going to be motivated to protect it? It looks as though it's up to me to guide you both from now on. Right?"

When she opened her mouth, ready with more questions, Byleth discreetly placed a hand to her wrist, and she quieted herself. He knew this girl better than her, and she trusted his judgement. "You can call me Sothis."

The name rang with a brief jolt of distant familiarity that died away like a smothered ember. "But I am also known as The Beginning." Sothis grinned, smug and childish. Shortly afterward her brows puckered. "Hmm…"

"You've remembered." Byleth stated.

"Sothis…" the young girl murmured. "Yes, that's it. I'm sure of it now. My name is Sothis. And I am also called The Beginning." As her eyes slipped close and she continued to speak lowly, the twins remained silent. "But who once called me that?"

"So it's only your name you've remembered," her brother ventured.

Sothis gave an absent nod, floating back over to the throne Bylara had only just noticed. It sat raised on a dias, white stone cut far above Sothis' head and wide enough for her to curl up on. "Yes, how odd."

What a strange person. If _person_ was even an accurate description. She was no monster from the camp stories that she was long past being frightened of, but there was a swell of power surrounding her that made it clear they were not in the presence of a mortal child.

Sothis caught her looking. "That look upon your face…" she pointed directly at Bylara, so there could be no mistake who she was talking to. "Did you think me a child?" she demanded, young voice rising. "A mere child who had forgotten her own name?!" She slammed her small fist down on the throne. "That child just saved your life!" Eyes glittering, voice dripping scorn, she asked. "And what does that make you?"

"She meant no harm," Byleth interjected.

Ignoring him, Bylara stepped forward slightly. "Are you saying you find me less than a child?"

Sothis smirked. "Hmph, he did say you were smart."

Just who was this girl? Her delicate appearance certainly belied her cheek and bossy personality.

"I'm not sure you're in a place to make that judgement," she mumbled, ducking her head.

She heard Sothis gasp,_ felt_ indignation waft from her. "You risked your lives to save just one girl. It was impetuous and _childish_." she sneered. "I stalled the flow of time, otherwise you would have died."

Stopping time should have been impossible, but then so should this meeting. And before opening her eyes to find herself standing in an abyss of nothingness, there had been a shift in the space around them, an inward pull above her navel that made her feel displaced even though she'd been standing still. "So time is paused now. And no one knows but us."

"Yes, that's correct,"

"Thank you," Byleth bowed.

They watched the girl's cheeks flush with glee. "_There's _the appropriate response of gratitude. I did deem you worth saving."

It was hard to keep track of her fluctuating mood, but it was true they would have both been grievously injured or according to Sothis, dead, in that moment.

Axe wounds bled fast, cut deep, and if survived, had a long recovery period. In spite of being mercenaries and always vaguely thinking they would die how they lived, Bylara couldn't say taking an axe to the stomach was her favored way to go.

"Come to think of it, how did I manage this? Have I always had this power?" their savior wondered aloud.

"Sothis, if you don't mind me asking, what becomes of us when time resumes?"

"The axe cuts you both down and you meet gruesome ends, naturally."

Hearing that had Bylara cringing away as if Sothis were wielding the axe herself, Byleth cutting the small girl a sharp look.

"How rude of you to drag me into this." she sighed, pressing a hand to her cheek and cocking her head. "What am I supposed to do?"

"We can't stay here," Byleth noted. "Wherever here happens to be." Yes, time was meant to march on. Living trapped in a bubble of stagnation was liable to drive them mad before long.

Figuring they were being consulted on a possible solution, Bylara racked her brain. Time only ever moved in one direction: forward. Sothis had stopped it effortlessly, instinctually. Surely if that were possible…

"Could you not…reverse it?" she offered up, unsure of herself even as she said it. The idea wasn't immediately shot down.

If anything Sothis' eyes were alight with possibilities. "Turning back the hands of time? Hm…" With a wave of her arms, a soft yellow glow of magic in the shape of a rune circle lit up between them and their new acquaintance. "I do believe it can be done!" Still smiling, but more subdued, she said, "You really are quite troublesome."

Bylara only huffed, having her fill of being scolded by a "child". "I cannot turn time back too far, but all is well. You know what is to come so you can protect yourselves this time."

"We'll make the most of your generosity," Byleth promised. Whether because he had met her first and was immune to her snark, or because nothing fazed him anyhow, her brother knew exactly how to handle the moody and mysterious Sothis.

She nodded minutely in agreeance.

"Then bearers of the flames within, drift throw the flow of time for the answers you seek!"

"How crypt—" There was no time to finish the comment, the inward pull above her navel registering again, signaling Sothis' powers in effect.

A flutter of her eyes and they were back, faced with the decision of how to protect themselves and the girl once more.

In the span of a second, a plan formed between them with Byleth snatching the white-haired girl from the path of danger and leaving her to face the raging brigand.

"You'll die!" he bellowed, the clash of his weapon meeting hers grating to the ear.

"Hah!" Bylara shoved upwards with ferocity, and the axe went flying along with the man behind it. Chunking through earth, the sharp metal stuck, and the leader flopped pathetically on his back, wincing as his previous injuries caught up with him.

They had let him live the first time, the reasoning being that they could interrogate him and see who had paid him to hunt down three people who were clearly important. Something nearly primal sang for blood, and Bylara considered finishing him off and being done with it. In another time, he would have done the same to them.

"Hey!" The cheerful shout broke through the shroud of gray on her thoughts. From her peripheral view, Bylara could see the other two approaching, unharmed.

Standing together, the five teenagers silently basked in their victory, slow smiles worming their way onto everyone's face. Even Byleth was indulging in one of his rarer unguarded moments of contentment.

"Whew! That got kind of intense, huh?" Claude laughed. "But you two probably could have taken them all on by yourselves."

"That's…a definite exaggeration." Bylara quietly disagreed, sheathing her blade, her brother doing the same.

The gallop of hoofbeats drew near, Jeralt reappearing with an unreadable look in his eyes. "Hey. Did you just…"

"The Knights of Seiros are here! We'll cut you down for terrorizing our students!"

_More_ people? A man in the shiny armor of a knight with a boisterous voice that boomed over the area and a thin mustache came charging toward them, and with his appearance the thieves picked up their unconscious leader and began to flee. "Hey! The thieves are getting away!" he cried, "After them!"

While his men pursued the runaway bandits, he stomped over to them, all smiles, as if he had done some great deed in assisting them. "Ah, you're unharmed." A single piece of his short brown hair fell into his face, his gray eyes sweeping over them all to land on Byleth and herself. "And you are?"

Her brother's response was swift and flat. "The ones who helped your students."

Behind them, their father dismounted his horse and groaned. _Groaned_. Sounding worse than Byleth being woken from a particularly deep sleep. "Ugh, not him…"

'_Not him?_' The day wasn't over, but it had become a tumble of strange turns one after another.

The knight began to gush over Jeralt, making it hard to believe they didn't know each other. She couldn't help but lean forward in interest. They hardly knew about their father's past. It wasn't a topic he volunteered much about, and they had learned to stopped asking in childhood. The man, introducing himself as Alois, was doing a wonderful job filling them in.

"Old right-hand man?" Byleth repeated.

"He called Father captain…" Bylara remarked.

And, eighteen years had passed? Always knew he was alive? Just what…was their relationship.

"You haven't changed a bit Alois. You're still too loud," Jeralt rubbed a hand down his face. "And drop the captain bit. I'm not your captain anymore."

The curiosity was too much, and like a stray given a piece of fat to gnaw on, Bylara couldn't let it go. "But you_ used_ to be?"

Jeralt rewarded her with a flat glare. "These days I'm just a wandering mercenary. One who has work to do." he slowly emphasized every word. "Good-bye, old friend."

Alois frowned. "Good-bye, captain." Though she didn't know the man, Bylara felt a thimble-sized amount of pity. Jeralt was so disinterested in even talking and the man _did_ appear genuine about being excited to see him again.

"Wait, no, this isn't a time for good-byes!" he declared. "I insist that you all come back to the monastery with us. You saved students, after all!"

Their destination had been the Kingdom, and their band wasn't known for unnecessary detours if it could be avoided. She looked to her father, expecting he would know what Alois meant. "The monastery?"

Byleth stroked his chin. "That sounds…religious."

"Yes," Jeralt paled, "I suppose this was inevitable. Garreg Mach Monastery."

Alois beamed, hands on his hips as he nodded toward she and her twin. "And you kids? Are you the captain's children?"

They shrugged in unison, Bylara effecting an innocent mien. "He is but a stranger to us, traveling in the same direction."

Jeralt rolled his eyes, the beginning of a smirk forming.

Alois clenched his stomach in a belly laugh. "Great sense of humor, kid! Clearly cut from the same cloth as the captain." There were many reasons Bylara had always admired her father, but she had never considered him a humorous man. Alois's bright grin would beg to disagree though. Well, she thought, to each their own.

In a blink Jeralt was reluctantly following behind the talkative man, both of them taking their men along with them.

"Now your skill makes sense. Your father is Jeralt, former Captain of the Knights of Seiros? They say he is the strongest knight to have ever lived. The legendary Blade Breaker?" The girl asked, impressed.

Behind the façade of mild surprise, Bylara could feel her jaw mentally dropping. Her father was _the who_? True, he wasn't one to wrap himself in fancy titles, but it would seem like he would've wanted to at least tell them the bare minimum. Apparently not.

"About the only thing you said I can confirm is that he's our father," Bylara snorted. There was an immense amount of explaining he needed to do. "Blade Breaker? Captain? He never said anything about…"

"He doesn't make it a habit to discuss his past with us," Byleth shrugged. "So this is the first we're learning of all that."

Although that got them some odd looks from the colorful trio, the female of the group nodded slowly. "I see. Well, I believe proper introductions are in order. I am Edelgard von Hresvelg. We are not ordinary students, you might say. I am the Adrestian Empire's princess." She curtseyed.

That was…well, less surprising that it probably should have been. Everything had suggested Edelgard, as they now knew her name to be, wasn't just some girl. Her appearance, the way she carried herself, and now her position. Bylara spared her brother a brief glance. He was intently watching the others, his mind no doubt latching onto each new piece of information like a steel trap.

"And the two of you are nobles as well, no doubt," Bylara stated, daring them to claim otherwise.

Claude grinned wide, folding his hands behind his head. "You could say that. I'm Claude von Riegan. I'm a student at the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery along with Edelgard and Dimitri."

Edelgard nodded while the one in blue, Dimitri, looked at them sheepishly from beneath his fringe of blonde.

It was almost as if he suspected that hearing his name would draw some sort of negative reaction from them, there was a flash of something in those soft blue eyes Bylara couldn't place. A downturn to his long, angular face that was sullen with the weight of a secret.

Then it was replaced by a sincere-enough smile as he bowed to them more formally than anyone ever had before. "It is a pleasure. We were doing training excercises when those bandits appeared and attacked in a swarm."

"I definitely got the worst of it." Claude added, running a hand through his short brown hair.

"That would be because you ran off." Edelgard pointed out, an unsympathetic frown on her lips.

So bluntly being accused of running away from danger, Bylara would have been a bit hesitant to come out and agree were she in Claude's position, but he answered without missing a beat, the same lazy grin in place. "Too true! I was the first to make a strategic retreat. But hey, it all worked out, right?" Here he cast his eyes to her and waggled his brows. "I bumped into _pretty_ good help."

Bylara took a minute, staring hard at his lips. He'd casually slipped in what sounded like a flirtatious comment. It happened from time to time, on the road traveling with nothing but men it was bound to. But Byleth and Jeralt were quick to make sure everyone at camp knew any man wanting more than that would be in for a rude awakening—no awakening at all.

"So that was your plan?" Dimitri's eyes widened as if it had only just dawned on him. "I thought you were acting as a decoy for the sake of us all."

"His intentions were as clear as day," Edelgard murmured. "You will prove a lacking ruler if you cannot see the truth behind a person's words."

"Lacking ruler?" Byleth noted. "What region are you from, Dimitri?"

The question made Dimitri straighten, his tall form gallant in his blue and black clothing. "The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. My full name is Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd." A prince. Dimitri was a prince. Bylara had no issues believing that one either. As with Edelgard his mannerisms gave him away if not the princely air he wore as surely as his cape.

That aside, more than just their elevated statuses as future rulers of the continent gave Bylara and she was sure Byleth, a lasting impression. "You're not like many nobles I've met."

Claude visibly swelled with pride. The more he spoke, the more unsure she was about him. His face was so open and yet…something was there behind those green eyes. Secrets. Just like with Dimitri. With his easygoing candor it was easy to get distracted, and she suspected that was intentional. A diversion tactic. If they really were journeying to this monastery the trio called home, Bylara was determined to keep her eyes on Claude.

"I'll totally accept that as a compliment," Claude winked. "I prefer to think of myself as an outsider anyway. That means having you two along on the trip back should be fun," He leaned forward with a hand cupped to his mouth as if it would prevent his friends from hearing. "We could have some fun messing with Dima and Eddie."

"Would that even be legal?" Byleth wondered aloud. "They're royalty."

Claude recoiled, and then his head fell back as he laughed long and loud. When he managed to get himself under control, he clapped Byleth's shoulder. "Thanks for that, man. You're going to be interesting to have around."

"You'd do well not to get mixed in with Claude and his scheming," Edelgard informed them, shaking her head as if she assumed they were considering it and was already disappointed. "In fact, let me be blunt: I believe your skill would serve the Empire very well. Of course you'd be compensated handsomely, if that's a concern."

It wasn't often Byleth's face gave away true surprise, but by the way even her brother looked caught off guard Bylara couldn't imagine she'd heard incorrectly. "You want us to work for the Empire?"

Edelgard smiled, and it made her pastel eyes all the more beautiful. "Y—"

"Halt, Edelgard." Dimitri grumbled, shifting on his heels. "I had a proposition as well." The earnest shine in his eyes as he regarded them both was unmistakable. "My kingdom is in dire need of individuals with your talents. Would you consider returning home with me?"

Cotton. Bylara's throat felt full of cotton. No sooner had Princess Edelgard asked for them to serve the Empire than Prince Dimitri tried to persuade them to his own Kingdom? It was insanity. They didn't know either of them!

"Whoa," Claude held a hand up with a frown. "You're both being pretty tactless, just piling that on them when they've only just met us. We're practically still strangers." Bylara smiled at his words, glad someone else was seeing sense. "Personally I was going to use the trip back to the monastery to build a deep and lasting friendship and then beg for favors."

"Ultimately you want the same thing from us though." Her brother sighed.

Claude shrugged guiltlessly. "No room for niceties in this world. Which brings us back to the question of the hour. Where do your loyalties lie, capable strangers?"

Just like that, in the span of less than a day, Bylara could feel her world, (no, Byleth was effected too) their world, shift. They were just the kids of a damn good mercenary. The fact that three nobles had taken an interest in them _this _long was unexpected.

A soft thrum filled her head, and then the youthful voice from before echoed through her mind, and she had to do her best not to cry out. "Hmm. It seem's ones place of birth is quite significant to them. Yet they are so impressed by you both, they're allowing you to pick. Well?" Great. Even the invisible goddess in her mind was goading them on.

"I…I…" Bylara licked at her dry lips. "I don't know."

"What my sister means to say is that your offers are all flattering, but we can't make such an impactful decision on the spot." Byleth continued. Her heart swelled with relief. Oh, sweet calm Byleth! If ever there was a time for his practical impartiality it served them well now.

"Understandable," Edelgard slowly let her eyes drift over one sibling, then the other. "It was hasty of us."

"Alright that's enough with the small talk!" Alois came rushing back over, the sunlight bouncing off the sheen of his freshly polished armor and half-blinding them. "We're leaving now so I hope everyone's prepared."

Edelgard and Dimitri shot them quick words of parting before following after the loud knight. "We can pick this up another time, so don't think it's over." Claude vowed, sprinting to catch up.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Bylara turned fully to face her twin. "Do you hear her too?"

"Sothis?" Byleth guessed.

"Of course he does! I'm linked to both of you now. Things will be much easier that way." The self-important voice of the green-haired girl echoed. "Or do you not agree?"

"It's disconcerting." Bylara wondered if the being that had taken an interest in them both realized just how strange it was. "When I woke up this morning my thoughts were my own."

"Huh, I am here to help! Show gratitude!" Sothis sniped back. "Do you not already feel linked to Byleth? He mentioned to me before he had a sister who at times nearly shared his thoughts. This is only a step further."

"She's right," Byleth reached over and briefly squeezed her hand, as he would when they were small. "We've always done best together. This will take getting used to, but I believe Sothis can be trusted."

Bylara huffed. Sothis would take a while to get used to, but Byleth had always been around. She could trust his word. She _did _trust it, implicitly.

"We shouldn't tell anyone about Sothis...not for now."

The look in her brother's eyes showed he agreed with that suggestion.

"Enough about me!" Sothis exclaimed. "What about those three! They're very unique individuals, I'd say."

"Yes," Byleth mused. "Edelgard is a refined young woman."

"That's putting it mildly," Bylara thought back to her. If she weren't used to growing up around mercenaries, she might find the white-haired young lady a bit intimidating. "She says she's a princess but she holds herself more like an empress already." The way someone who knew exactly where they stood in the world and what their goals were would.

"I feel as though she were evaluating us the entire time." Byleth closed his eyes and chuckled humorlessly. "Taking the measure of everything she could ever hope to know about us from the minute we spoke."

"I'd say that assessment's fair." She had, after all, been thinking the same. "And Prince Dimitri. He seems very sincere, don't you think?"

"He's fair-haired, earnest and humble. A fairytale prince." Again, her brother had gotten the same impression of the prince that she had. "But there was something else…there's a darkness lurking deep within I'm not even sure he's aware of."

She jolted, a shiver going through her at the thought of it. No, her brother truly missed nothing. "I noticed it too…" she breathed. "For now, though…"

"For now he's our new traveling companion, and we should give him a fair chance." Byleth's lips flickered into a smile that put her worries to rest. "To learn about him before drawing lasting conclusions."

"That only leaves Claude. And I must say that it's hard to see him as a noble based on first impressions,"

"He called himself an outsider." Byleth reminded, "And he seemed pleased that we would be too."

Claude von Riegan. A charming young man with a striking smile. At a glance. "That smile doesn't reach his eyes though, does it?" she whispered. Getting taken in by the smile and the deep green eyes felt like the first step to a costly mistake. "I'm curious about all of them. As curious as they seem to be about us."

When she looked over, her brother was rubbing at his hair. It had grown long through the winter months and now fell down over his ears and across the nape of his neck. "Cut it if it bothers you so much."

"Will you cut yours to match, dear sister?" He lifted up a curling piece from off her shoulder to inspect. True that she had also gone without cutting her hair through the winter. But it had been cold and her head could use the warmth!

She hissed at him in warning, and he removed his hand with a small laugh.

"Hey!" Dalton called across the field to them, sitting atop his mare. "Jeralt says we're leaving now, with or without you!"

That was their final warning, and they both knew it. Their father wasn't above starting the journey to leave them to catch up. They'd had to do it once when Byleth refused to get up and ready and she had to stay behind with her sluggish, no-good brother.

Byleth folded one arm behind his back and bowed to her. "The road awaits," he held out one of his gloved hands.

Bylara smirked as she took it. "Yes, and so does Garreg Mach Monastery."

* * *

The forest path the party traveled through was scenic, beautiful. Tall, leafy trees provided ample shade while providing a path dappled with sunlight and shadows. The sky visible through the tops of them was blue with the occasional puffy white cloud. Birdsong floated through the air around them, and even the air tasted and smelled cleaner, almost sweet.

Up ahead, despite his initial reservations, Jeralt talked among Alois and his men quite genially. Then, Byleth supposed his father was only putting up token resistance to begin with. Maybe it felt good to go back to a place he'd once called home.

He, Bylara, Dimitri, Claude and Edelgard walked a fair distance behind the adults, holding their own conversations. In their traveling they had gotten to know a little more about the trio, and their homelands.

Admittedly they had very little to offer about their own origins, only the basics. They were twins, seventeen years of age the same as the nobles, raised as mercenaries from early childhood by a firm but fair father.

Seeming to pick up on the fact that the sparse parts of the story they could tell of their history was all they could muster, their new friends were gracious enough not to pry. And that kept things cordial, if not a little awkward.

"This will be your first time at the monastery, yes?" Byleth turned his gaze from Jeralt's back to see Dimitri looking to the left and talking to Bylara. She was near hidden by the prince's tall body as he turned to speak to her. "I would be happy to show you around," he offered.

If it had been any other near-stranger, the same age as them no less, Byleth would have suspected an ulterior motive. Not every unsavory man in towns they passed through heeded the hard glares of warning to stay away from his sister as she had grown into a young woman—though she often chastised him for forgetting she could take care of herself—sometimes it required a more…physical reminder.

Dimitri was a bit too chivalrous for that sort of concern, Byleth considered. He really did intend to show her around, and nothing more.

"The monastery…you said it's the location of the Central Church, and it has the Officers Academy, so there are people from all different regions just like the three of you, right?" Bylara was ever inquisitive about their destination. As was he, but he allowed her to do most of the talking.

"It's Fodlan in a nutshell," Claude said breezily. "The good and the bad."

An interesting, curt description. Prickling under his skin, though she had been quiet for the day, Sothis' curiosity buzzed too. Byleth turned his eyes to the downward dip of the path. All three of them would just have to wait and see what was in store for them.

"Like it or not, we'll be there soon enough." Edelgard announced. Byleth didn't know if she'd been speaking to him, but her pretty eyes were only for the road they walked, gaze unblinking. Shadow dappled half her cheek where overhanging branches provided a cocoon of shade and it gave her visage a strange sort of duality.

Pulling his eyes from the aloof girl beside him, he watched the trees break away to reveal what had to be one of the grandest structures he had ever laid eyes on. Sun shone on a building built up like a grand fortress, as breathtaking as it was imposing. Pristine white stone comprised a wide castle-like building steep on a hillside. Rolling green fields lined the roads leading up the winding path to the top, and open beige stone walls disappeared into the area around them. Unmistakably Garreg Mach Monastery. For the foreseeable future, their new home.

* * *

**Thank you to the people who have reviewed so far! **

**So, a couple of questions already came up about the harem aspect I mentioned. Firstly I'd like to say I know that's not everyone's cup of tea for a few reasons. It wasn't always mine either (and sometimes still isn't). Lots of fanfics with harem romances sometimes sacrifice quality for the sake of having characters paw all over each other. But rest assured, that's not my angle whatsoever. Romance might develop comparatively faster than it does in canon, where you really don't get any sign of it until the optional life partner scene at the end…but it won't be anything rushed, and it won't be done in a way that makes the characters feel shallower as a result. As I said, I'm leaning toward it being FM!Byleth (Bylara) who gets the harem simply because I seem to keep finding more romances for M!Byleth. But he'll someone too…I'm just not sure who yet. **

**Romance doesn't truly show up for a while though, just to reiterate. Hints here and there but nothing major until the story has progressed more. **

**Moving on from that, I've already got ideas about how two Byleths working together could change events in a big way, besides them being in control of two Houses instead of one. Looking forward to getting into their lives at the monastery.**

**Thank you for reading, and do try to comment.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello and welcome to another chapter~ Very quickly, I'd like to thank everyone who has been commenting so far. Comments are always appreciated and welcome as long as they're story relevant and polite. The only thing is, I have gotten a few guest comments asking some questions and I generally try not to respond to too many before or after a chapter because I'm aware it gets cluttered and I can get carried away with side chat. On the other hand I didn't want to leave anyone hanging when readers have given me a warm welcome to writing for the fandom thus far. So here goes. **

**Yes, the twins are 17 right now. It's already been mentioned a few times in the first three chapters and to change it would mean a lot of editing, as well as revising of future plot plans. I do have a plan about how aging them down could still work with some parts of canon, and don't worry too much about them not aging after the timeskip. I have planned for that as well. So no they won't stay the same age or anything. A lot of people keep telling me how old they are in canon, and yes I was always aware of the canon age. I simply want to be clear I'm disregarding it in this fic. Events surrounding their birth have been shifted accordingly. **

**Everyone, and I do mean **_**everyone**_**, wants Bylara to be paired with Claude. The good news is, she is. He's simply not the only one, hence me mentioning multiple love interests much later down the road (nothing extreme number-wise, but my mind is made up there). **** All of Bylara's romance options are already locked in. I know exactly how many/who she will be with. With Byleth I have his love interests nearly locked as well. Bernadetta is a definite. Probably Hilda as well. Anyone beyond that? I don't know. **

**Kitty suggested an accidental prank Claude could pull on Edelgard as well as if it was alright to send me suggestions/ideas. To answer their question and possibly the questions of others who may be wondering, sure! Sending ideas doesn't guarantee I will use them if it contradicts too much with what I have planned, but I still don't mind and do read suggestions. In fact I like a lot of what people have suggested thus far and may sprinkle things in!**

**Lastly, Houses! There was a lot of speculation about how Rhea would make use of two Byleths with the House system. But since I felt it was too early to do a poll on that, I decided to just use my original idea of one twin per House. Which goes to which House will be revealed this coming chapter! And please don't think that means they won't still heavily interact with the third House. They do!**

* * *

The ceilings of the entrance hall seemed to stretch to the heavens. Byleth could see the minute they set foot inside the majestic monastery that it was unlike anyplace they had ever been before.

The red length of carpeting that stretched along the main path through and bisected the shining tiles was made of thin, velveteen cloth. And the stained glass windows far above their heads threw back sunlight that splashed the room in radiance. Red and white banners of a dragon curled around a symbol he was unfamiliar with hung from the ceiling.

The very air was charged with a feeling of sanctity hard to ignore. He, a mercenary whose hands had been stained red since he was knee-high, felt not only horribly out of place, but almost…unworthy. Bylara shifted closer beside him, gazing upward and nearly stumbling into him. He caught her arm quickly, drawing her attention.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Alois chuckled, his loud voice echoing even louder through the room. "I always thought you feel closer to the goddess here than anywhere else in Fodlan here at the Central Church."

"Sure, if you're into that." he heard Claude whisper.

Alois stopped walking and spun to look at the three students. "I'll take the captain and the others to see Lady Rhea. That'll be all for now. Why not go rest up back in your quarters?"

"Well," Edelgard closed her eyes with a little smirk. "I do believe we're being dismissed. I suppose I should go and see how Hubert has been rallying the others together in my absence. I suggest you two go and check on your own classmates as well." Regarding he and Bylara with one last smile, she inclined her head to the side. "I hope you'll both stick around. Talking to you more when you next have a moment would be nice."

Then she was off with a swish of the red fabric draped across her shoulder.

"Well I…guess she's right." Claude mused. "If we're not invited then we should probably check in and see how everything's going." Unlike Edelgard's polite goodbye, the yellow-clad boy gave them a wink and a mock salute. "House leader duty calls. Leave them alone for too long and things get a little…wild." They watched him jog off in the opposite direction Edelgard was going before stopping abruptly, almost causing a poor monk to run into him. "But hey, feel free to drop by and see me anytime if you feel like chatting."

Byleth let his eyes drift to Dimitri, who stood hunched in on himself, smiling shyly. "I…I should be going as well then. Please, if either of you need assistance, I will do my best to provide it. And my offer for a tour of the monastery still stands." he explained, punctuating his words with a bow.

"They're good kids," Alois chortled. "Hopefully you'll get to see more of 'em and the way classes run soon. We've got a promising crop this year!"

"Alois," Jeralt sighed. "Shouldn't we be going?"

"Of course, Captain! On to see Lady Rhea. I'm sure she'll be just as enthusiastic to have you back as I am!" he crowed, clanking down the hall at a surprising pace. "Well, maybe not as enthusiastic as I am, but close enough."

Jeralt and his men followed, many of the mercenaries drinking in the building's interior just as they had been. He and Bylara followed behind them at a slower pace. Byleth noticed a small frown forming on her lips, and, knowing instantly what it was about, he couldn't help but comment.

"You'll have to take Dimitri up on his offer of a tour after all, Byla."

She glowered, lips pressed tightly together. Her tendency to get lost indoors was one she didn't appreciate being reminded of, insisting that as long as she was competent enough with a map while outdoors it didn't matter.

Byleth narrowly avoided a jab from her padded elbow into his ribs, allowing his sister to brush by him to catch up to their father. Jeralt had just reached the grand wooden doors at the end of the corridor, pushing them open as if he knew precisely where they were headed.

A clear sky hung above them, spongy grass bending beneath their feet as they entered into a peaceful courtyard with yet another part of the monastery looming over it. Jeralt stopped, craning his neck back and muttering low. "Rhea's here."

Byleth squinted against the sunlight, noticing the regal woman on the stone balcony watching them with her cool gaze. He considered himself adept at seeing what people tried to hide in the depths of their eyes, but the longer he looked the more it felt like she was picking through _his_ head.

With a graceful turn, she walked away, and whatever spell she'd been holding him under was released. "Three guesses who she could be," Bylara remarked as they continued on.

Yes, Byleth knew they had just glimpsed the most powerful person at the monastery.

* * *

The entrance hall had been overwhelming enough, but the audience chamber felt as though the spiritual essence dwelling in the walls of the monastery had been channeled into an enclosed space that ensnared all visitors. Byleth joined her in taking in the room carefully, while their father only shook his head impatiently. "It's been years since I set eyes on this place." he said. Considering they had recently discovered their father had a very intimate relationship with the Church in the past, that he was neither impressed nor overwhelmed by the monastery was not surprising. "To think I'd be forced to see her now…"

_Forced_ was a very interesting word choice that Bylara couldn't help but pick up on. It said a lot about the frustration Jeralt held onto ever since Alois shepherded them along after the skirmish.

"Her who, Father?" Byleth asked.

"You saw her earlier in the courtyard." Jeralt explained. "You both did. That woman was Lady Rhea." She and her brother must have been wearing blank expressions, because their father's face pulled in a small frown. "What's with the lost faces? Huh. If I'd known we'd end up in this position I would've explained things sooner… Listen up, as you know the majority of Fodlan are followers of the teachings of Seiros." He paused, and they nodded to show they were with him thus far. "The leader of that ridiculously large religious organization would be the archbishop, Lady Rhea."

Bylara had felt in her bones that the woman from the courtyard was uniquely powerful from others they had met at the monastery. And once again her intuition had served her well. If the Church was to be their new home into the foreseeable future, and this Lady Rhea was its leader, than she effectively held their fates in her hand.

That realization didn't sit well with Bylara, and a new understanding of the apprehension her father had been displaying struck. They were used to the lives of mercenaries. Answering to no one and moving from place to place where they were needed.

It might have been unconventional or impossible to imagine for those like the nobles they met, but it was the only existence she knew. What new existence would she be forced to carve out here? And what if she didn't like it? She got the impression leaving the Church wasn't easy, and she'd only just arrived.

Careful footsteps echoed in the large room, and she turned with her father in brother, in time to see Lady Rhea entering the room with a stern-looking man at her side. They stopped not far in front of them, the archbishop all the more stunning up close. She had a tranquil face with soft lips curled in a demure smile, though there was no hiding the quiet ferocity in her bright green eyes. Her long, mint hair flowed down back and over her shoulders, a heavy golden diadem encircling it. White flowers were tucked into her locks on both sides of her head, and she wore a white dress accented by a navy and gold shawl.

The man beside her had a face Bylara supposed could be handsome in the right light, if not so severe in his expressions. His hair was a dark green and shoulder length with a part in the middle that exposed the thin golden circlet resting across his forehead. His eyes were the same forest green as his hair, and the tidy chinstrap beard he sported.

It was the solemn man that addressed them first in a self-important tone of professionalism. "Thank you for your patience, Jeralt. My name is Seteth, an advisor to the archbishop." It was no surprised he went directly to addressing their father, seeing as it was he who apparently had former ties with the Church. He who Lady Rhea would have the most to talk about with after so many years. After all, he was once someone with a very high position amongst the Church's warriors. The highest position. And he had vanished without a trace, presumed dead, from what they had gathered from Alois' ranting.

"Right. Hello," Her father's greeting was so stiff, there was no way that the two church officials couldn't have taken notice.

But Lady Rhea only continued to smile her serene smile, hands clasped in front of her. "It has been a long time, Jeralt," Even her voice sounded pious, edged with a silent but tangible authority. "I wonder…was it the will of the goddess that we have another chance meeting like this?"

"Forgive my silence all these years," Jeralt bowed respectfully, and knowing her father that was the best the archbishop could hope for. He'd never been the kind of man to bow and scrape. No, whether addressing wealthy clients or the leader of the Church of Seiros he held his solemn dignity intact. "Much has happened since we last spoke."

"So I see," Finally, her eyes drifted, stopping on Bylara and her twin. "The miracle of fatherhood has blessed you. These are your children, are they not?"

"Yes," he didn't spare them as much as a glance. Bylara kept her eyes focused ahead, adopting the passive expression she often wore in front of strangers she didn't know what to make of. "Twins. Born many years after I left this place. I wish I could introduce you to their mother, but we lost her to illness long ago."

That was as much as they had ever heard about the woman who brought them into the world. Once when asked, Jeralt's face became tight, his eyes misty in a fog of memories. And then he carefully explained how a terrible sickness had ravaged the land shortly after their birth, claiming their mother's life.

Looking back, it had been odd how quickly they had both accepted the explanation with no further insistence for elaboration. Asking innumerous questions the way children were wont to do. Instead, they had trusted their father, taken them at his words and silently bid farewell without fuss.

They lost their mother before they could get to know her, nor she them… that was…well, in childhood it had been disappointing. But as years went on, Bylara thought even less of the mysterious woman. She wondered if Byleth had given up too.

He must have, because even when it was just the two of them, when they would share private thoughts they didn't dare express with anyone else, he made no mention of it.

For the first time in more than half their lives, the somewhat taboo topic was being brought up. If that wasn't a clear sign the new environment would inevitably bring more changes, she wasn't sure what was.

"I see, my condolences," Rhea dipped her head shallowly, "As for you," Intent eyes refocused on them. "I've heard of your valiant efforts from Alois. What are your names?"

Only a beat passed, and then her brother was introducing himself. "My name is Byleth Eisner." he bowed the way their father had—at the waist.

Rhea smiled, pleased, and then her fine brow rose in question as her head swiveled in Bylara's direction. "And I am Bylara Eisner, milady." She curtseyed (out of practice with the gesture as she was) to follow her brother's noble example. She couldn't have the archbishop thinking _he_ was the one with all the manners.

"Fine names indeed," Rhea complimented. "From the bottom of my heart I must thank you for saving the students of the Officers Academy."

To the side, she heard Jeralt let out a derisive "_hmph_" as if to silently object that if they hadn't helped, he wouldn't have been dragged along back to the monastery he'd been avoiding.

Bylara pointed to give him a pointed look, but considering the company they stood in front of, she refrained. If he hadn't wanted them to be the kind to step in when a stranger was in need, he had only himself to blame. He'd raised them to have a code of honor, even if they were mercenaries.

Pleasantries with them over, Lady Rhea dutifully turned her attentions back to their surly father. "Jeralt…you already know what it is I wish to say, do you not?"

"You want me to rejoin the Knights of Seiros, don't you?" he heaved a burdensome sigh. Bylara couldn't help the look she shared with Byleth. Had this been what the trip was leading up to? She had suspected for a time that their arrival at Garreg Mach would be an indefinite hiatus from mercenary work—at least in the capacity that they had been doing it—but this was unexpected. "I won't say no, but…"

"Your apprehension stings. I would have expected that Alois would have already asked this of you." The archbishop canted her head thoughtfully, impressing Bylara with the way her headpiece stayed in place. "I must step away for now. I expect they will soon wish to have a word with you."

Bylara was again a bit befuddled. The archbishop was considering them in all of this? "Please listen carefully to what they have to say. Until tomorrow, farewell."

Lady Rhea and her advisor left the audience chamber as gracefully as they had entered. Leaving the three mercenaries in an awkward bubble of silence no one was sure how to break.

It took some time, but in the end it was the one among them with the deepest understanding of what was going on who spoke up. "Tomorrow, huh…?" Jeralt muttered, stroking at his beard. "Well. It looks like we'll be here at least for the night. Not that you two couldn't have already guessed that, eh? Come on, let's see if we can find someone to point us in the direction of somewhere we can all lodge. I'll have to find our men and tell them too."

'_And then, will he tell us why all the secrecy was needed?_' she thought. She ended up staring into a pair of dark blue eyes identical to her own. Byleth shrugged.

* * *

Though Lady Rhea had been gracious enough to encourage them to speak among themselves, not much new information had been revealed to them. Instead, Jeralt made himself busy instructing his mean on how to conduct themselves when in a place like the monastery.

They were, after all, mostly if not entirely common-folk in their mercenary band, rough around the edges and not used to formalities. They were given a light meal the night before, shown to their temporary chambers by servants of the Church, and left alone.

He and his sister had been placed in rooms right next to each other, but she had come to his quarters and they'd talked long into the night. Their father had never shown, further proving the point that he had something to hide from them.

The circumstances were so unique that for the time being, Byleth was willing to forgive him his secrets. With all their years on the road they had learned to trust Jeralt did everything with good reason, and in all their lives, he hadn't led them astray so far.

But as they stood together waiting on the arrival of the archbishop in her audience chamber again, it was painfully obvious Jeralt would rather decline the whole thing and be back on the road. "I can't believe it. Forced back into the Knights of Seiros." he complained again. Byleth also knew what was coming next when Jeralt looked at them. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this. Looks like I'll be stuck here for a while…and normally I'd say you could take our men and do the job in the Kingdom without me, but…"

"But what?" Bylara pushed.

"But I'm afraid your services are being requested here as well…"

He had to admit, that was an admission he hadn't planned for whatsoever. _'We're…we're going to be working here?_' he wondered. '_This doesn't seem like the type of place to have use of mercenaries when they already have the Knights_.'

"Father…in what capacity do you mean?" Bylara squinted. "Are we going to earn our keep as…servants?"

"Nothing like that," Jeralt calmly waved the notion away. "They want to offer you both teaching positions by the sound of it."

Bylara's mouth parted slightly. Her jaw hadn't dropped open, but paired with the way her pupils blew wide, it made her feelings pretty evident. Byleth worked his jaw around as he tried to piece together exactly what he'd just heard.

Teach? A teaching job? Jeralt had long since trusted them with instructing new additions to their mercenary group when he didn't have time, but it hardly crossed the blue-haired boy's thoughts that the Knights of Seiros or any other Church-affiliated warriors would need help from two mercenary kids. And that wasn't to undersell their immense skills, either.

Then, he thought of one more possibility. "You couldn't mean…"

"The Officers Academy." Jeralt confirmed. "They're down a professor this year, but that damned Alois recommended you _both_ and Rhea took it into consideration."

"I'm having a hard time understanding how we've been brought into the fold so quickly." Byleth voiced. "Your affiliation aside Father—"

The hurried clack of heels on stone plowed clean through the conversation. A woman with short cinnamon brown hair curled above her shoulders rushed toward them, wearing a turquoise dress with a neckline that displayed her ample cleavage and a slit in the side that made her legs appear a mile long. A white cloak was pinned around her shoulders. "You must be the new professor!" She leaned forward, flashing their father a flirty smile. "My how stern and handsome you are!"

Bylara made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a cough.

"Er, no. I'm not the one you're looking for." Jeralt said through a tight smile.

An older gentleman in a long, drab coat with a monocle in front of one blue eye, who looked every part the esteemed academic, walked in to stand beside the woman. "Remember, Manuela, we're getting two additional professors. Did you hear none of what Seteth explained?"

"It looks like you can handle things from here. Good luck." Their father had never been a man who coddled, so it wasn't surprising he was leaving to attend to his own duties. Nevertheless, Byleth wished they had gotten more answers from him before being thrown into the middle of all this.

Adjusting to whatever was ahead for them would leave precious little time to interrogate him properly. Jeralt clapped a hand onto both their shoulders as he passed. "Watch out for Lady Rhea," he whispered, tone grave. "I don't know what she's thinking, making you both professors like this. She might be up to something…so stay on your guard." He leaned away as if he'd only meant to impart friendly, fatherly advice, strolling out without a look back.

The warning alone had put Byleth on his guard (and no doubt his sister as well) so there was no need for Jeralt to concern himself with them being caught unaware. Questioning the archbishop's motives so plainly was tantamount to heresy, wasn't it? And right in front of two members of her staff, though they probably hadn't heard… For their father to have not waited until they were somewhere private to warn them, well...it spoke of a whole new level of seriousness from him.

Byleth took in a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly and then letting them open again. '_He's never guided us in the wrong direction. If he's telling us to act with discretion, then maybe he knows something…maybe that's why he never brought up the Church before now._'

It wasn't the time to ponder over it, not when the two professors before them were staring with intrigue. "It's you then?" the woman gawked. "So young…"

"Age and competence aren't necessarily correlated." The monocled man reminded her. "I am Hanneman. I am the resident Crest scholar here, and a professor at the Officers Academy." He gave a short but polite bow at the end of his introduction, and Byleth nodded a curt response.

"Byleth Eisner."

"I have to wonder, hearing of your exploits, do you either of you bear a Crest?" Hanneman asked. "When next you have a moment, I insist you pay me a visit so we can delve into the subject further."

Byleth wasn't sure he'd agree to something like that so hastily. Introductions rolled on without giving him time to formulate an answer.

"I'm Manuela. I'm the academy's physician, a songstress, a professor and…available," she purred. Her brown eyes fluttered beneath the orange accenting of her makeup. Byleth shifted his wait from one foot to the other, wondering exactly why she'd give out that information. "It's nice to meet you." _You _truly did seem to mean just him, because it was almost as if she'd forgotten Bylara was there too.

Choosing to be diplomatic, he stowed his discomfort over her seductive leer, focusing instead on the accomplishments she'd mentioned. "Songstress?" he repeated. They had met one once, long ago. She combined her singing with magical spells that allowed her to invigorate her allies in battle. It was a technique he hadn't witnessed since.

"Of course," Manuela perked up at his show of interest, no matter if it was simply an attempt at a nicety. "Before I came here I belonged to a famous opera company. Perhaps you've heard of me?"

"I can assure you we haven't." Bylara wasn't one to take kindly to being blatantly ignored.

Manuela pouted. "How is that possible? I was the Mittelfrank Opera's beautiful, peerless—"

"I'm sure our new colleagues would rather hear about the duties they're expected to perform." Hanneman cut in. Manuela seemed the type who could talk about herself for an undetermined amount of time, something he'd have to keep in mind if ever cornered into a conversation with her again.

"You'll both be tasked with taking charge of one of the academy's three Houses."

Byleth may not have known exactly what that meant but he could already tell it was a grand undertaking of a task. "Take command of them? Like leading soldiers?"

"Oh, heavens no!" Manuela gasped. "Like leading _students_." Right. Students. Not soldiers. "You really don't know, do you?" Sympathy washed over her face as she shook her head. "I suppose I'll do you a favor and explain then."

* * *

Fate was such a strange thing. To think, the three nobles they had met were the House leaders they would now be tasked with guiding throughout the year. "How do you think they've taken the news?" Byleth asked, his head bent low over a text. The academy held no shortage of new books to read over, about every subject imaginable. Her brother had set to work delving into a tome on strategies through the ages of the Adrestian Empire.

"How would you take it?" she countered. "We're going to be tasked with teaching them, yet we could all be peers…I'm sure when they entered a prestigious academy they expected to be learning from only the finest and most qualified scholars." She slipped down from her perch on a nearby desk just as the cathedral's bells rang out. Byleth shut his book and rose from his chair.

"Lady Rhea wishes to speak with us again before we officially meet the students." Byleth's longer legs made short work of the distance to the door. "Let's not keep her waiting."

Bylara huffed, a thick piece of hair that had fallen into her face stirred by the action. They had spent two nights here thus far, and hadn't explored much yet. She was in no hurry to get lost, so as interested as she was in touring the old structure, she was also fine with the wait.

In the meantime they spoke yet again on why they had been chosen for such an important role, what their father's cryptic warning could have meant, how they would adapt to their new lives as professors, of all things.

Byleth was the one to guide them around the many twists, turns and stairs of Garreg Mach. Bylara only concerned herself with trying to stay close and memorize the layout so she could do it herself in the future.

By the time they reached the familiar audience chamber for their third visit, Lady Rhea stood alone, waiting patiently. "Welcome again," she greeted, her face gentler than previously. "I trust you're now fully informed on what your positions here will be?"

Bylara refrained from shrugging. "We get the gist, yes."

"Excellent." Rhea hummed. "The students are given a grace period after arriving to unpack and familiarize themselves with the academy. It only seems fair you have the same before the first day of classes. Please, speak with each of the House leaders and learn more about your new home. That is the first assignment I am giving you as professors."

Knowing the woman likely expected some response, Bylara dipped into a small bow. "That's very kind of you, thank you Lady Rhea."

"Please, no thanks are necessary." Her expression and the warmth she openly expressed was so unlike the Lady Rhea they had first met. She conversed with them as if they were dear to her, like she could spare them all the patience in the world. "When you're finished, return to speak to me here."

She gently ushered them out, perhaps more eager than they were for them to begin their teaching experience.

* * *

Speaking to the House leaders was easier said than done. The grounds were vast, and they had no idea where to really began looking. Each time they approached a random student, one look at Byleth and they clammed up. Bylara supposed his face could be intimidating if one wasn't used to it. And she was mildly curious why her presence didn't generate the same response, but either way they were getting nowhere.

"Not a single student seems to know any of their whereabouts."

"Maybe we should split up?" Bylara suggested half-heartedly.

Unsurprisingly, her brother saw right through her. "You don't mean that. You haven't gotten acquainted to the layout here yet. Splitting up would be pointless."

"I know," She just wasn't sure what else to suggest. Looping back around to ask Lady Rhea how to go about locating three students would surely look bad.

Her eyes drifted around the hall, hoping someone competent-looking passed by. Instead, she met eyes with a fairly tall boy with messy red hair who had been speaking to a blushing girl. When she walked off, he turned and sent Bylara a dashing grin.

"What is it?" Byleth questioned, "Do you see someone?"

"He looks like someone who might know something."

His retort was a quiet but pronounced sort of grunt. She was sure he'd rather they find someone else, but she'd already started toward him so of course Byleth followed.

"Hello,"

"Well, well! It must be my lucky day, being approached by such a beauty." His light brown eyes lit up, notably lingering on the space below her collarbone. One glance at her brother and she saw his jaw tick tellingly. It was best to speed the interaction along, for the redhead's sake.

"I'm Sylvain Jose Gautier." Almost too eagerly, he reached down and took one of her hands, turning it to expose the flesh of her palm. She stared incredulously as he closed his eyes and leaned forward, only for Byleth to snatch her hand away by the wrist, his other hand seizing Sylvain's. Eyes still closed, he chuckled. "Your hands are a little rougher than I was expecting, and you're pretty forward. I kind of like it." He pecked Byleth's wrist, then frowned. "Wait…"

All the mirth drained from his face in an instant, faced with her brother's most menacing glare. There were many dead men who had faced that same scowl. The last thing they saw on the earthly plane. But this wasn't out in the field cutting down foes, so it might cause problems if Sylvain joined them.

Bylara carefully stepped in front of her brother, aware that it did not do much to block either male's view of the other. Sylvain took a careful step back. "A pleasure to meet you. I'm Bylara, and you've already acquainted yourself with Byleth." she smirked, watching the flustered redhead rub his neck and avert his gaze.

"Y-Yeah…sorry about that…anyway, I'm assuming you didn't come over for a tea date?" Regaining some of his previous confidence, he wiggled his eyebrows. "_Although_—"

"Tell us where to find any of the three House leaders." Byleth demanded, his tone flat. When his fingers moved to the sheathed dagger at his hip, Bylara reached behind her and brushed them away.

Slow, and probably painfully aware of the bloodlust rolling off Byleth, Sylvain lifted his hands into view.

"Right. Uh…Edelgard's right over there." Following his stare, they saw that the Empire's princess had been in the far corner of the room the whole time.

Ironic they hadn't spotted her first when she was hard to miss with her eye-catching hair and penchant for wearing red. Byleth's vice grip latched onto her wrist, and he began dragging her with a final disinterested stare at Sylvain.

"Thank you," she tossed over her shoulder.

"No problem," The further away her brother was from his vulnerable person, the less anxious he looked. "Feel free to say hi whenever you like."

"Don't even breathe in his direction or he'll take it as interest." Byleth hissed.

"You're overreacting." She jerked her arm free with a roll of her eyes. "I can handle one flirt."

"Hmph…"

* * *

Everyone in the courtyard was so taken in by the pleasant day the goddess had blessed them with. People stood huddled close already exchanging their hopes for the year, some lounged on the grass as lazy cats ambled around. Dimitri leaned against a pillar, observing but not really taking much in, his shoulders slumped.

His time at the Officers Academy had certainly started off unexpectedly. To be killed before even attending his first class would have made him a disgrace to his Kingdom and rendered any hopes at achieving his goals lost forever.

Luckily, a peculiar team of mercenaries had come to the rescue, among them blue-haired twins Professor Manuela had informed would be joining them all at the academy. Not as fellow students though, but as professors!

Had he known that either Bylara or Byleth could end up being his instructor, he would have perhaps tried conducting himself in a different manner. On the road they had talked as equals, happy acquaintances, and he'd hoped in time they could perhaps come to be friends… Then when the time came to return home, they might be willing to lend their aid and—

Distracted as he was, even Dimitri could feel it when all eyes in the courtyard shifted and lively conversation became hushed whispers. Looking up and to the west, he saw the twins he'd just been thinking of speaking to Claude.

No doubt the confident and carefree Golden Deer leader was regaling them with some tale or another. His heart sank when he imagined they'd be taken in by his charisma, more likely to choose to join with the Alliance after graduation.

Byleth nodded, saying something than made Claude laugh—probably not intentionally, the stoic mercenary didn't seem the type for casual jokes—and then he pointed. Two heads turned, and he realized they were already walking over. Dimitri put on a friendly smile, fidgeting with his gloved hands in a way he hoped was discreet. "Please accept my apologies for the other day," He couldn't help himself. He had to make them aware he hadn't meant to be so rude, assuming them all friends so quickly and addressing them as such.

"I'm not sure why apologies would be necessary…" Byleth said, his blank expression giving nothing away. During the travel to the monastery, Dimitri hadn't been able to get much from him. He spoke when spoken to, but hardly went out of his way to strike up conversations.

Sometimes, he even seemed to hesitate on how to answer, and at those times it was Bylara who explained in his stead. She appeared the more open of the two, although nonetheless calm and hard to read.

They both intrigued him, and now that he knew they'd be teaching classes, he could only hope one of them took an interest in the Blue Lions. Or rather, that Lady Rhea saw fit to assign one of them his House.

"Yes, well…if I've done anything rude during our short acquaintance I'd ask that you forgive me." he went on. "I've heard you're both to be teaching here at the academy? Delightful news! Are you investigating the Houses?"

"That we are," Bylara crossed her arms. "So Dimitri, what should we know about your House?"

He shored his confidence, ready to present to them all the reasons the Blue Lions were a wonderful class to teach. "Ah, where would you like me to begin?"

"With its leader." Byleth commanded. Dimitri blinked, feeling a little embarrassed. Bylara raised a hand to place on her brother's arm as if staying him, then dropped it.

"We'd be interested in learning about all the students in your class, starting with you," Her gentler tone coaxed him to relax a bit, but he was flustered on the prospect of having to start with himself.

"M-Me?" Unbidden, he felt the beginning of a blush creep onto his face. "Oh. Um…it's difficult to open up on the spot, don't you think?" A nervous chuckle trickled out. Dimitri began fidgeting in earnest, avoiding their eyes as he continued, "I'm afraid my story has not been a pleasant one…" His eyes peeked up. "I do hope that doesn't color your view of me, but I understand if that can't be helped…" Even to his own ears he sounded pitiful and far too eager for the approval of near strangers.

'_This is not the impression I intended to make,_' he thought in frustration.

"If anything, it should be us asking you not to let our pasts color your views." Bylara sighed. "We were mercenaries not so long ago, and many view our work as less than noble. Our positions here are unique, but that doesn't change who we are."

"N-No," he gulped. Somehow, her words had lessened his worrying. "I suppose it doesn't."

"You shouldn't expect us to judge based on whatever lies in your background," Byleth added. "Our lives have taught us to see people for who they are in the moment."

That was not how it was in the world of nobles. Often, preconceived notions of you were decided upon long before a meeting actually occurred, based largely on bloodlines, Crests, and the deeds of your family. Dimitri supposed if anyone were to ignore all of that, it would be those raised in a world where none of that equated to much.

"That aside," Bylara tilted her head, large blue eyes inquisitive. "What of the others in your House?"

Dimitri scratched his neck, the sun beating down making his skin itch. "I…Well my retainer is Dedue. It's rare that he's not by my side, so you're likely to meet him soon anyhow. He was born in Duscar."

He stopped and waited to see if the telltale widening of eyes or sneers of disgust would follow, but not the smallest trace of disdain appeared. Promising to think that his friend and retainer would have fair treatment from at least two members of the staff. "He's been with me for the last four years. He's a bit on the taciturn side, but once you get to know him, you'll see he's a kind and good-natured person."

"He sounds like someone else I know with a taciturn personality," Bylara snickered. Byleth looked down at the top of her head in boredom.

Ah yes! She made a good point. Byleth was also reserved, but didn't seem to be unkind. He certainly had a close and attentive bond with his sister. That much he had already observed.

Relief washed over him yet again. "I am glad that you're both understanding. The other Blue Lions are also unique individuals as it were. Felix is the heir of House Fraldarius and possesses a sharp tongue…he's a good guy deep down, of course. He has a tendency to gravitate toward the strong. He may challenge you both to a spar once he learns of your time as mercenaries."

"A new challenge?" Byleth muttered, fist clenching.

"It's his way of saying he's excited." Bylara said. "Please, continue."

"Yes, gladly." Dimitri thought of the other classmates he had yet to mention. There were many, some he had never met. He decided they could introduce themselves at a later time, and he would only focus on those he could provide reliable information on. "Hmm…Well there's Ashe. He's the adoptive son of Lord Lonato of Castle Gaspard. He's incredibly earnest. Any teaching you have to offer him I'm sure he'll approach enthusiastically."

Who wouldn't appreciate an earnest student who hung on their every word?

"Then there's also Sylvain of House Gautier. He's capable, but…a bit of a, erm…a skirt-chaser, to put it bluntly."

"Yes we've met him."

Curious, the clear displeasure in Byleth's eyes versus the calm exasperation in Bylara's.

Could he have done something to upset them and diminish their opinions of the Blue Lion House? They had said they preferred basing opinions of others on what they saw in the moment, and at any given moment when Sylvain saw an attractive woman… which many would easily say Bylara _was_—_oh, no_.

Dimitri couldn't stop the sinking feeling. "Oh! I sincerely hope he didn't do anything unbecoming. I apologize on his behalf if so. I'll be sure to speak seriously with him about his behavior the next time I see him." The talks had never helped much in the past, but, if they were going to have either of the Eisners as professors for the year, it was time to lay down some ground rules with more insistence.

"See to it that you do," Byleth growled. His sister nudged him softly.

"Dimitri, if I may ask…is the Blue Lions House entirely male?" Byleth's glare sharpened at her question.

"Certainly not! It is true that the number of males enrolled does seem high this year, but we are not lacking female classmates. Off the top of my head, I cam think of several."

Bylara nodded for him to go on. "Mercedes is carefree on the surface, but a kind-hearted and attentive soul. She always strives to be helpful to those around her. And Annette is her close friend. She's very eager and studious, with a background in studying magic. If either of you happened to have any knack for spells…"

"We've both dabbled," Bylara explained. "Although I focus more on White spells."

"And I prefer the Black arts."

"Very impressive," Dimitri had never had any particular proficiency for magic or interest in learning advanced spells himself. But mages were valuable fighters, and being able to switch between physical and magical skills kept a warrior versatile. "I should however mention Annette tends to be a touch oblivious with matters outside the classroom," he sighed deeply. "I think it's best to keep her away from the kitchen, if rumors of her causing an explosion there last night hold any truth."

"Noted." They chimed in unison.

"Good," Dimitri smiled, "The last member of our House I'm familiar with is Ingrid, a daughter of House Galatea. She is also a childhood friend of Sylvain, Felix and myself. I hold her in high regards as a principled, industrious and dutiful individual. I would go as far as saying she presents herself as more knightly than seasoned knights you might meet." Trying to gauge their reactions, he found them wearing identical thoughtful expressions, taking it as a good sign.

"Like the others, the Blue Lions sound like a House of many personalities." Byleth reflected, hand on hip. "Thank you for speaking with us."

"My pleasure," Dimitri bowed.

"We should go and inform Lady Rhea we've spoken to you, Claude and Edelgard. I'm sure she's expecting us," Bylara commented.

"Then please don't allow me to keep you," Dimitri suddenly felt self-conscious, hoping he hadn't talked for too long. He'd just been so enthused to get the chance to tell them about what made the Blue Lions special.

They departed, already talking amongst themselves. _'I've done my best…I suppose the rest is a decision far out of my hands.'_

* * *

Lady Rhea wasn't alone anymore. Seteth, Manuela and Hanneman stood with her, and as their footsteps rang out and echoed in the chamber, Byleth could see they were evidently the last to arrive.

"Have a nice tour?" Manuela asked. "I take it you're at least a little more familiar now?"

She still had far more interest in looking at Byleth than anyone else in the room, but she was to be their new colleague. Jeralt had always fostered in them a need to know and trust anyone they called a colleague. Bylara cleared her throat. "Yes, so it would seem."

"Excellent!" Rhea beamed.

"Forgive me," Seteth grumbled. "I still have my own reservations about your student appointments here, as professors no less. But I trust Lady Rhea's judgement. And, because you are both new here, we have elected to allow you to choose which Houses you will watch over for the year. Know that it is up to you to shape the impressionable young minds of this academy into upstanding members of Fodlan."

There was an inherit threat to ward against their failing somewhere in there, Byleth could just sense it. "We understand."

"Wonderful," Rhea answered, "So…have you made your selections?"

Al eyes honed in on them, and they shared a small nod. They had already spoken on the way over about what they would do if given the choice. As Lady Rhea would have it, they were.

"We have, Lady Rhea," Bylara was all business now, standing as straight as she could even at her short height.

"Don't keep us in suspense then!" Manuela urged. "Out with it!"

"Patience," Hanneman scolded. But there was no hiding he was just as eager.

"I'd like to take on the Golden Deer House." Byleth announced. Claude and his schemes, this Raphael and his excessive eating, the girl named Hilda and her laziness… From the sounds of it, they could all use a firm and structured hand to reach their potential. He had strongly considered Edelgard's House, but the students of that house sounded highly self-sufficient and orderly. In short, the Golden Deer herd needed him that much more.

"A…surprising choice," Seteth remarked. "And you, young lady?"

Bylara was as straightforward as he knew she'd be. "The Blue Lions." Her choice was hardly surprising. Bylara had a strong affinity for the kind of firm but nurturing way of instructing he thought the Blue Lions might need. If Sylvain became a nuisance, though…

"Then your hearts have made their decisions. Congratulations," Rhea's clear voice was like a holy anointment as she said, "You are homeroom professors of the Golden Deer and Blue Lion Houses respectively."

"That just leaves one of us the Black Eagles." Hanneman cupped his chin. "Well, I— "

"Go ahead, Hanneman." Manuela winked. "We both know you're probably more suited as a homeroom professor for this year's crop. I'll still be teaching them everything they'll _really_ need to know in my lectures anyway."

"Like what?" Hanneman scoffed. "How to procrastinate, the best herbal remedies for—"

"_This _should conclude the meeting." Seteth was evidently having none of their bickering or antics. "While you go and officially introduce yourselves to your students, we'll get your quarters prepared."

"Oh! I'd be happy to point them in the right direction~"

A girl with green hair in two ringlets down her shoulders skipped in, from seemingly nowhere. She regarded he and Bylara with sparkling verdant eyes and a cheerful smile. "Hello! It's wonderful to meet you both!"

"Flayn!" Seteth squawked, his voice rising an octave. "You cannot just barge in! This does not concern you. It is..."

"Oh hush, brother," she giggled. "None of that. I simply wished to meet the new professors you've spoken about." Walking closer, she tilted her head up to meet eyes with Byleth. "Hm...your face is perhaps a tad intimidating, but I feel certain I sense none of the 'shifty presence of a cold-blooded mercenary' my brother..."

"Flayn, please!" Seteth protested, plainly flustered.

Byleth wasn't surprised Lady Rhea's advisor didn't trust them. He'd been told even as a child his neutral expressions didn't lend him to a harmless impression.

"And oh!" Flayn stepped in front of Bylara, "I have a good feeling about you too, of course."

"Alright." Seteth, pinching the bridge of his nose, walked over to place a hand on Flayn's shoulder and gently usher her aside. "This is Flayn, my younger sister. She is not a student here so she will not be attending your classes. You will no doubt see her around the monastery nevertheless."

After, the meeting was _truly_ over, Byleth and Bylara led out and to their quarters. The next day was sure to be eventful, he thought, and if the other students were half as animated as the House leaders and staff, then time teaching at the monastery would require serious adjustment on his part...

* * *

**In the end it's the Blue Lions and the Golden Deer that gain the twins as their homeroom professors. No, the Black Eagles will **_**not**_** be left out of the narrative. I'm quite fond of many members of the BE and I think they've got too many interesting characters to go excluding them. And although Dimitri is the first character outside of Byleth/Bylara to get a POV he won't be the last. I simply felt his perspective fit best in this chapter vs Claude's or Edelgard's, but we'll be hearing from the House leaders in the future. Just have patience there. **

**We see a little bit of Byleth running interference in action with Sylvain being shot down. I don't see that being the last time he has to try to keep Sylvain (and others) away. Maybe he and Seteth should form a club for overprotective relatives? lol**

**I tried to make this chapter longer to cover their initial introduction to academy life. More will be explored in their day to day, how they handle classes, interacting with students, and plot bits, naturally. **

**Thank you for reading and please do take the time to review. **

**P.S. I am new to writing for this fandom so I want to add, I don't update on any schedules. Quite a lot usually goes on for me between chapters (right now I'm in the process of moving and just got my internet reconnected), so all I can say is I'll steadily keep writing the story but it's not going to be updated on a specific day of the week every two weeks or anything like that. **


	5. Chapter 5

It was strange to get used to the sensation of waking up in a bed, and even stranger not to open her eyes to the sight of Byleth dozing away. The blue-haired girl yawned behind her hand, throwing her feet over the edge of the bed and adjusting her shift.

She'd never slept in anything so light and silky to the touch. Being that the band of mercenaries camped outside more than sleeping in inns, it would have been impractical anyhow. Then there was the simple fact of the matter that her father and brother would have raised no shortage of hell.

'_Speaking of, I wonder how they fared the night._' The entire band had stayed within the monastery for several nights already, but now their accommodations were better, and their roles at Garreg Mach were cemented.

"Finally you awaken!" By now, the young, impassioned voice of Sothis was very familiar. Floating quietly in the corner of the room, her long green hair almost touching the floor, the entity regarded her in boredom. "I have been waiting an eternity!"

Bylara moved past her to the attached room holding the bath. She had never been one to seek special privileges. Jeralt had raised his children to live modestly, be adaptable, and take care of as many of their own needs as they could.

But goddess, she wasn't going to turn her nose up at a private bath. It certainly beat traveling far enough downstream to bathe without being spotted by men in camp, all the while weapon at the ready in case bandits interrupted.

"Do not pretend as though you cannot hear me! It is too late for that!" Sothis continued.

"I can hear you just fine," the girl grumbled, slipping her shift down her shoulders. "But you exaggerate a great deal. If you truly want to wait an eternity, try waking Byleth."

Sothis crossed her arms with a frown. "Hmph!" Bylara paid her no mind, continuing to examine the vials.

Even as she imagined her brother sleeping in without her to wake him up at dawn, Bylara marveled over the intricacy of the knobs in the bath. She experimentally turned one, and a rune glowed before water came trickling out into her tub. Astounding. What powered them was surely magic, and the monastery had an ingenious way of making use of it. As she waited for it to fill, her hands drifted the assortment of bath salts sitting in vials at the ready.

A fresh cake of soap that smelled of mint and rosemary sat unused beside them. It seemed that there was no need to ration a whittled and chipped cake of soap as she had on the road. A small perk of the new position she found herself in was the nice things included in her accommodations. Bylara sank into the pleasant heat of the bath, steam carrying the fresh smell of mint and the bath salts making her skin tingle. Sothis continued to float above her and fuss.

"Remember, you are one of only two who is able to see and hear me. You would do well to think of that before addressing me in front of others." An amused smile lifted her face. "Otherwise you might be labeled mad."

Bylara lifted her head, one hand massaging a type of foaming soap into her hair. "Considering the archbishop's advisor already considers us unfit to be here, I'm sure that would give him plenty of credence." Not that Bylara wasn't aware of the peculiarity inherit in the situation. The appointments to staff members had been out of the blue and within hardly a day of meeting Lady Rhea. And they were teenage mercenaries, young enough to be peers to many of their students but teaching them all the same.

She dunked her head under the water quickly.

"Yes," Sothis rubbed at her chin. "His name was Seteth, was it not? He is the wary sort that does not take kindly to surprises. I can tell."

The young woman finished cleaning herself, then pulled the stopper and watched the water drain out. Fleetingly she wondered where it went.

"You should do your best not to cause a stir with people like him watching."

"Judging by the reactions of the other staff," Bylara sighed. "That may be out of our control already. It's understandable."

"Huh. I do not sense even a little panic from you…I thought you may just be good at hiding your feelings, but…you truly are a peculiar human, aren't you?"

"I'm not the only unusual case here,"

Without even looking directly at the green-haired girl, Bylara knew her round cheeks would be an indignant hue of red.

"Again with your cheek!"

**WNB**

Bylara emerged from the path clad in a towel and patting her hair dry, to find a parcel waiting on her bed. She ventured closer, wondering how it had gotten there when she clearly remembered her room door barred when she entered the bathing chamber. An old habit from her mercenary life she doubted would be leaving anytime soon.

Regardless, it didn't change the fact that a neatly wrapped package waited, a note addressed to her attached. She removed and examined the paper first, finding a careful scrawl. "_Given the nature of your appointment, along with your obvious youth, it is important that you be identifiable as a professor and not a student. Normally, you would be permitted to wear your own clothing. But we have decided to provide suitable attire especially for you. Enclosed is an outfit for you to wear. Good luck!" _Curiously, the last line of encouragement was in a different hand, as if someone had wanted to add on some good will the first writer couldn't be bothered to show.

"Well, do you not plan to open it?" Sothis asked, popping up beside her. "Surely you cannot mean to greet your students in that less than suitable state."

Bylara scoffed quietly. And_ she_ was accused of being the cheeky one between them? Tugging at the string, it gave with minimal effort, allowing her to unwrap the brown paper and pull out the outfit waiting inside. She examined the folded white blouse, blinking.

It was standard, not what she normally wore in the field, but nothing horrible. At least, she considered, the short sleeves would make it comfortable in the warm weather. The next item inside filled her with some hesitation—a short black skirt with a silver pattern zigzagging from the waistline and ending in a triangular point.

"This…is what I need to teach in?" Bylara could feel her brows drawing down in skepticism. She couldn't recall the last time she'd worn a skirt. Hardly practical for a mercenary.

On the same note for the last two years her father periodically remarked about the impracticality of her fashion sense and urged her to wear something more protective. But she had been adamant that if she had to fight with men and live with men, she would at the least express her femininity in some way.

"Hm…I do not think I see the harm in it." Sothis remarked casually.

Bylara rolled her eyes and said nothing. Of course her commentator wouldn't. She wasn't the one wearing it. A fancy black coat with two rows of large buttons on silver down the chest and to the hem. Much to her surprise and amusement, she found a matching black cape with silver trimming at the shoulders.

She would admit it could be a lot worse. Giving the outfit a final once over, she began dressing. Fastening her cape with a flourish and looking down at her polished, sensible shoes, Bylara surveyed herself. Peeking over her shoulder, she groaned over the length of the skirt, smoothing it down uselessly.

"Are you not going to wear that?" Sothis mumbled, pointing to the headband that had also been included with the ensemble. "It is nearly time for you to go, isn't it?"

"Yes, but…" It was too trivial to say out loud, lest Sothis mock her for it. Studying the headband, she placed it on the crown of her head with an inward grimace.

As expected, her ears were now exposed. She touched her hand to one lobe. One day she had hoped to outgrow the thinking that her ears were too big, but she hadn't.

"You'll be late." Sothis so helpfully reminded.

Putting a spring in her step, Bylara headed out the door with the spectral girl gliding behind her, only to run headlong into a uniformed chest.

"Rare to see you in a rush," Byleth greeted, dressed in a near identical outfit, save for his pants and hat.

Seeing him was a much needed sight of familiarity, and she found herself thankful that their rooms were in such close proximity. "I see you managed to stumble out of bed. Maybe there's hope for you yet," she teased, leaning up to straighten his collar. "Now," Bylara said, moving back, "Remember these aren't mercenaries."

"I'm aware. The note tacked to my clothes said as much. Emphatically." It said a lot about Byleth, that even the church officials felt the need to remind him he couldn't go traumatizing students on the first day.

"We should go then," She made to brush past him, but he snagged her arm and spun her around with a thoughtful expression.

"We don't have ti—"

"Your hair…" His gloved hand attempted to sweep it over her ear, but the headband did its job well. "Hm…"

"Is it that noticeable?" she asked, exasperated already. It could be that Byleth had only focused on it because he knew her old fear. But what if students found them distracting too?

With one deft motion, her brother plucked the headband from her head. What she hadn't expected was for him to remove his hat and replace it with the hair accessory.

The officer's cap he put on her, and Bylara felt her hair shift into place. "You need it more than me," he explained calmly. She had to admit, he wore the headband much better than she had. It kept his unruly bangs out of his eyes, but just barely. "And this way you have the illusion of height." A light jab, but she didn't miss the subtle encouragement either.

Adjusting the hat and tipping it at him, she made her way to the classroom where her new students were waiting. The blue banner above the door was that of the Blue Lions. The heavy wood swung open to reveal most if not the entire class had already congregated, standing around or sitting in their seats.

The one face she immediately recognized was Dimitri, standing beside a mountain of a dark-skinned man with a stoic face. She could only surmise that he was Dedue, Dimitri's Duscan retainer. Before she could even make a proper introduction, the students swarmed. Falling in behind their House leader, they all looked at her with expectant gazes.

"Well," Sylvain grinned. "Just couldn't stay away after all, eh?"

Bylara quirked a brow, amused that Byleth's initial warning hadn't been enough to deter him. Then again, he already struck her as the persistent type. With any luck under her direction she could put that persistence to better use.

"Sylvain, please." Dimitri scolded. "This is to be our new professor. Show some respect!"

"Whoa, professor?!" asked a small orange-haired girl. "But…but! I thought you were our age. Oh um, no offense. It's not that I'm questioning how well you can do your job…" The babbling ended in a nervous gulp. "I'm so sorry, professor!"

Bylara gave the rest of the mostly awed students a small smile. "You may treat me as a friend more than a professor if that's what you'd like."

Friends weren't something she'd made a great deal of in the past. She'd always had Byleth by her side, both brother and best friend. That had sufficed all their lives. But here, among students who were by and large her own age, it made sense that some would be more comfortable regarding her as a friend.

"You say that, but I'm not so sure it's going to be that simple for me." The girl muttered.

"Yes, I agree with Annette. I'll admit it doesn't sit well with me either." Dimitri added, "We wish to show you due respect."

"Sure, respect," Sylvain's smile was broad and his eyes were trailing down to her exposed legs. "But the professor says it's alright if we're all a little familiar. Isn't that enough?" The redhead cleared his throat and turned to Dimitri. "If His Highness can consent to such a thing."

"I don't think I can manage either," A blonde girl with her hair in a braid spoke up.

"You don't have to force yourself if it's too difficult," a young woman with a gentle aura placed a hand on the blonde's arm. "I'm sure the professor's fine with that too, right?"

Bylara shifted her weight, still unused to her skirt and starting to wish she could just sit down. "Whatever's fine with you is fine with me,"

There were several sighs of relief and a concerning shine to Sylvain's eyes. "Such benevolence!" he chirped, sidling up to her. "Say professor, you wouldn't care to join me for tea, would you?" He settled an arm around her shoulders, leaning in with a purr, "We can keep getting to know each other, and talk about anything from education…to marriage."

Clasping the wrist dangling from her left shoulder, Bylara twisted herself away with a stern expression. "Obviously we're going to need to maintain professional boundaries."

"She's right," Her eyes landed on an intense boy with dark hair spilling from a messy bun. Given Dimitri's earlier descriptions, it would be surprising if he was anyone but Felix. "Control yourself, Sylvain. I have more important matters to discuss with our new professor."

Even before he stepped forward, challenge glowed in his brown eyes. "Word is you're one hell of a mercenary. Enough to pull _His Highness's_ ass out of danger." Dimitri hardly batted an eye over the insult, evidently used to Felix's brusque manner. "Come to the training ground later. There, you will prove your strength to me."

Unable to control herself, Bylara huffed. She had just assured the students they could choose to treat her as a professor_ or_ a classmate. And it didn't seem like Felix needed any further invitation to drop all pretense of formality. Though maybe it was a little rude, a part of her found it oddly refreshing.

"You're on," she agreed.

"You aren't wasting any time, are you Felix?" Dimitri said. "As it were, count me in for any such battle."

Bylara didn't know Dimitri well enough to say it was surprising, but, it was intriguing. _'So the mild-mannered prince has a competitive streak too?'_

"Hmph." Felix grunted.

"Pardon me!" This time it was a boy with short silver hair, wide green eyes and a face full of freckles. "I would also love to observe you in battle for future reference, if that's okay with you. I just…don't want to waste the opportunity to learn," he finished, noticing all eyes on him and ducking his head shyly.

"Ashe," Dimitri chided. "I won't have you speak of merely watching. You're welcome to join us as well."

Normally Bylara would second the notion, but Ashe looked a little pale at the prospect, his eyes darting between the three of them.

"If you get injured simply say the word and I'll have you patched up in no time!" cheered the girl with ash blonde hair in a ponytail that hung over one shoulder. "Oh professor, I'm Mercedes," she giggled. "It's really a pleasure!"

"Your Highness," Dedue interjected, speaking up at last, "Do take care not to go overboard."

The prince shook his head fondly. "You worry too much, Dedue. I'll be fine."

"Isn't there something a little…off…about crossing blades as a way to bond?" Sylvain voiced.

"Does that mean you'll be sitting the next spar out?" The blonde girl beside him smirked.

Pouting, Sylvain's shoulders slumped. "Ingrid, you really are too harsh toward me,"

Bylara absorbed the dynamics as everyone chattered excitedly about spars and lessons.

"What do you think, professor?" Dimitri asked eagerly.

"You're not really what I was expecting," she admitted. She withheld the fact that she had imagined stuffy young aristocrats that might not have known the pointy end of the sword. "But that's not a bad thing. I think this is going to be a better experience than I was hoping for." She turned to the lecture podium, making her way towards it. The students took the hint and meandered their way to their tables.

'_I just hope Byleth is doing alright.' _If his class was in anyway as animated as this one…

* * *

Claude greeted him with a charming grin, holding his arms open wide in welcome. "Couldn't resist then." he nodded. "Welcome to the Golden Deer House, Prof."

The nickname got the attention of the other students who had been gathered in clusters and watching. Suddenly, they were drawing closer, until they'd formed something of a half-ring in front of Byleth.

"Claude," a pink-haired girl in pigtails gasped. "Are you telling me this person is our new professor?" She placed a hand daintily to her mouth. "But he can't be any older than a student!"

"Age has nothing to do with competence, you know!" a short girl with wide pink eyes and white hair down her back huffed.

"Lysithea's right, Hilda," the House leader winked. "Don't worry, I've seen him in action. He's plenty capable."

Byleth quietly assessed the lot he'd chosen to work with. Young and eager eyed for the most part. Promising but inexperienced. By the end of the year he'd be sure to change all that.

"I…I'm sort of excited," A boy in glasses with neatly cut hair grinned sheepishly. "I'm Ignatz." he introduced. "I haven't had much practice in battle yet, but I'll do my best."

Humility, a thin physique, and soft-spoken. Claude had briefly told him Ignatz was the son of Leicester Alliance merchants, so as far as Byleth was concerned, he'd be starting him on basics.

"I'm getting pretty pumped up too!" The girl staring him down had a fire in her eyes, auburn hair in a shag cut and an orange jacket tied around her waist. Everything about her screamed tomboy, and the gloves on her hands suggested her expertise was the bow. "After all, you're one of Captain Jeralt's kids, right?"

Byleth assumed the whispers had spread to the student body. It was no surprise. His father apparently lived something of another life before raising them.

"You know my father?"

"Not just know him, I was his first and best apprentice!" she crowed. "I'm Leonie Pinelli. I'm sure he's mentioned me?"

Byleth blinked. "He didn't. Not once."

Leonie deflated, "O-Oh…"

"He doesn't speak much about his past though." Byleth admitted. "I didn't realize he had old affiliations to the church before we came here."

"Ah, while Captain Jeralt's reputation is rather impressive, I'm a bit concerned about this…arrangement." Byleth sized up the tall purple-haired boy. He had sharp features and narrow amethyst eyes brimming with suspicion. There was a large red rose pinned to the front of his uniform and not a hair out of place.

Yes, he was very familiar with this type. The posh noble who needed the help of the mercenary scum when they couldn't control things in their own territory, but otherwise were content never to associate with the "dregs of society" known as commoners and sellswords.

If he kept this attitude, then this haughty noble would be in for a rude awakening. Wealth and status wasn't going to save him from the grueling regimen Byleth had in store for them.

Continuing on oblivious of the tension, the boy continued, "You see not much is known about you outside your timely rescue of Claude and the other House leaders, and your former mercenary status. With all due respect, just how qualified are you as an instructor?"

"Depends," Byleth replied evenly. "My upbringing is probably what someone like you would consider unconventional. So my teaching methods may strike you as difficult to grasp."

The boy gasped indignantly. "Are you suggesting I—"

The former mercenary went on, ignoring the noble's look of outrage, "There's one thing I know about though, and that's survival." Byleth's dark blue eyes swept over the assembly. "With any luck, by the end of your time here you'll know about it too."

Silence filled in the space left by his words, the students glancing at each other uneasily. Had he messed up already? Bylara always had more of a calming effect than he did. A firm way of commanding that didn't come across so ominous.

"Look at that," Claude crossed his arms, one corner of his mouth raised in a smirk. "Lorenz is speechless. He didn't even run you the whole spiel about his name." An amused snicker punctuated his words. "Ya know, Prof, I think you might be the best suited for our House after all."

"Yeah!" A hulking man—though his innocent smile would certainly be described more as boyish—cheered. "That stuff you said about survival? Well, I'm all for it. Any training you can give me to get my muscles bigger is alright with me!"

To be sure his girth was already impressive with a wide chest and shoulders. His uniform strained to contain his mass, the buttons doing their level best to keep his shirt closed. His short, messy hair was blonde and his eyes were kind and energetic. "And afterwards, we can sit down and fill up at the dining hall! Oh man, just thinkin' about all that meat has my stomach growling!"

A deep, beastly growl _did_ follow, proving his point.

"Raphael! You _must _learn to control that insatiable appetite of yours." Lorenz scolded. At least he was speaking again. Which meant Byleth couldn't be blamed for breaking a student (at least not on day one).

"Feasting can wait." Byleth announced. "The first lesson of the day should begin, now that we're all acquainted."

"Actually professor, you forgot someone." Hilda called. Byleth spun around, halfway to the podium. His brow furrowed as he surveyed the room. Sighing, Hilda tugged a blue-haired girl that was hunching in on herself forward.

"Sorry, it's easy to miss her when she doesn't have much to say with new people…" Hilda explained. "But this is…"

Her head suddenly shooting up, the timid student stared forward with wide eyes. "Marianne von Edmund!" she squeaked. "Um, sorry...I should've introduced myself sooner, but I…didn't want to be a bother so I…" The rest of her sentence devolved to a volume to quiet to hear. Byleth waited for her to continue, but she avoided his gaze and fidgeted with her fingers, so he assumed she was done.

Continuing to the board with his cape billowing behind him, he took up a piece of chalk and then turned to his class. "Where are the others?" he asked. "I was told this was a class of twelve."

"It's not uncommon for some people to miss the first day, I guess." Claude leaned back in his seat, hands behind his head. "First day jitters maybe."

By the time he paid them a visit Byleth doubted they'd ever want to skip a lesson again.

"Then let's get started…the first lesson you'll be learning about field combat is as straightforward as they come."

Positioning the chalk, Byleth began writing as neatly as he could. When he was finished, he glanced over his shoulder to see several shocked faces and Ignatz with his hand timidly raised.

"Yes?"

"Uh, p-professor…that just says 'don't die'."

Byleth stared him down. What was his point? Not dying was somewhat crucial to becoming any sort of decent fighter. There was nothing left to learn beyond the grave. "Take it to heart."

Back to writing. "The next step to being a formidable merce—formidable fighter, does anyone have any ideas?"

Byleth waited patiently. The reactions so far were mixed. Several were thinking, others had pinched faces of disbelief with Lorenz's being the most prominent, while the rest of the class simply appeared intimidated.

Realizing he might as well just go ahead and say it, Byleth moved his chalk again. "The next step is to find a strength."

"Oh, now we're talking," Leonie exclaimed. "I'm already learning how to use a lance and the bow."

"Duel specialties aren't a bad idea at all." Byleth conceded. "Anyone else have a known strength?"

"Lots of us in this House have started training on the bow, Prof." Claude shrugged. "The second most common weapon in this House is the lance. Lysithea and Marianne are our resident magic users."

"Hey, don't forget me!" Raphael shouted. "I use a sword, but I'm all for some good ol' fashioned knuckle brawls if I get into a tight scrape without one." He punched one meaty fist into his open hand.

Lysithea raised her hand, sitting primly in her chair like the ever attentive student.

"What is it?"

"Professor, would you mind sharing_ your_ specialties with us? I think we're all rightfully curious."

He didn't expect to divulge much about his own weapon preferences, but it was a harmless inquiry. Thinking about everything he'd used over the years, and what had worked best. Even by his own requirements of at least being adequate in the weapon before claiming he could use it, Byleth had quite a number to list off.

"I most commonly use swords," he cleared his throat. "And Reason magic."

Lysithea and Marianne noticeably perked up.

"I also consider myself capable in the use of lances, axes, brass knuckles, bows and hand to hand combat."

By the time he had finished, more than just his magic-using students looked impressed. Some, however, looked more cowed than ever. Apparently he was back to square one in being unapproachable. Byleth could have sworn a voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like a tittering Sothis declared he could use a lesson of his own in relatability.

* * *

Edelgard gave the cook a polite smile as she gathered her plate and made her way to an available table, Hubert at her side. Classes had ended for the day, and while Professor Hanneman was an incredibly knowledgeable and tenured member of the staff (a Crest scholar to boot), the Imperial princess wouldn't deny she'd been hoping to see either of the mysterious Eisners choose the Black Eagles. Claude and Dimitri should consider themselves lucky, as it happened. She fully expected to hear at least the former's bragging when she saw them later.

She moved her fork around, playing with her food in a manner both uncharacteristic and unbecoming for her station. Hubert's keen eyes were heavy as he watched, likely already assessing exactly what weighed on her mind. "If I may, Lady Edelgard," he said.

The princess silently lifted her head, granting him permission to continue.

"I understand your disappointment. But all is not lost. They may not have chosen the Black Eagles, but we'll still likely have lessons from both of them. If the tradition of topics being split among all members of the staff continues this year."

She nodded slowly, finally taking a bite of her rice and steak. "Yes, I'm certainly aware. And I didn't mean to sulk. It's just…something about them both…it's possible I'm irrational in my thinking but it feels like they could be—"

"Man!" A plate clattered noisily onto the table as the boisterous Caspar sat a few seats down from them. Lindhart smoothly glided into an adjacent seat from his friend with far more grace and much less noise. "I am _beat_! Professor Hanneman's lecture was kinda draining, don't you think?"

The food in front of him was piled nearly to his chin, but if Edelgard knew Caspar, she knew he'd find somewhere for all of it to go. The blue-haired boy didn't bother waiting for a response as he dug into his dinner with excitement— pheasant and mashed potatoes and liver pudding in a race to his mouth.

Linhardt ate a spoonful of potatoes and then cringed, scooting away just in time to avoid some stray pudding that made its way across the table. "Caspar, please…" he grumbled.

Hubert took a much firmer approach, standing up and making his way over to the duo. Edelgard watched her retainer give Caspar a dressing down over his table manners, which only seemed to have grown worse since the last time she had been a guest for dinner with her family at Count Bergliez's home.

"Caspar, your etiquette is disgraceful," Hubert sneered. "Can you not see you're ruining Lady Edelgard's meal with your unsightly slurping and gulping?"

"But how can I not go a little crazy?" Caspar asked, wiping a smudge of pudding off his face with a sleeve. "The food in here is delicious and it's all you can eat!"

"You test the limits of that generosity," Linhardt stated.

"Okay, okay!" Caspar swallowed down the last of the meat on his plate. "I'll eat like a real noble or whatever, geez."

Satisfied, Hubert crossed his arms and waited.

"Uh, I'm out of meat. Be right back," Jumping from his seat, the shorter boy scurried back in line for more roasted bird.

Hubert rejoined her in his spot, looking pleased with himself.

"Thank you." There was no point in saying much else. He saw it as his duty to ensure her comfort in any way possible, big or small.

"My pleasure, Your Highness." As he was picking up a mug of black coffee, by the smell of it, her eyes drifted over to more students entering the cafeteria for the evening meal. Two figures stood out among them, dressed in sharp black and silver uniforms.

The twin professors talked quietly amongst themselves, unbothered by the curious stares and whispers aimed their way. They looked so engrossed in each other's company, not for the first time Edelgard was somewhat envious. Their clear bond was something she had never had as deeply with any of her own siblings.

"Those two really have been the center of gossip everywhere lately," Hubert remarked. "Not that I care for such things. I find myself perfectly capable of learning their intentions."

"I have told you," she said quietly, "They went out of their way to rescue myself and the others. I owe them a great debt. So please, remain civil."

"Of course," Hubert's innocent tone was at odds with the vigilance in his golden eyes. It would just take time for her loyal vassal to accept Byleth and Bylara.

As they moved to the cafeteria line, they were flocked by several members of nobility she recognized from the Leicester Alliance and Holy Kingdom. Already, they were growing popular. She would have to move fast in befriending them.

* * *

**Now that the Houses the twins have chosen are revealed, the dynamics can begin to be laid out, which is always nice. Especially because the more powerful the bond is between them and their students before stuff goes south for everyone, the better. I'm glad everyone is enjoying the tight sibling bond too. I'm a sucker for strong familial bonds in fiction, so expect lots of Bylara and Byleth being siblings, rivals and best friends. **

**I couldn't help but remember that when looking at the designs for the avatars I initially thought Bylara's ears are a little on the big side. Especially in certain cut scenes. It's sort of cute, but since she's already displaying more emotion in this fic I thought I'd have that be something she's self-conscious about. Byleth decides to be considerate of her and give her his hat while he wears her headband, and no, they won't be switching back. **

**As for the romance, I will say one more time for the record: this story contains **_**eventual **_**polygamy. If you're against that then there's not much point reading further. But if you're open to a story that contains it, you'll hopefully enjoy what you read. I don't plan for it to be sloppily done at all. And no one is going to be running around with ten partners each or anything like that. But throughout history relationships like this have existed in various cultures, and I think considering that the students (as well as Byleth and Bylara) are unusual people facing unusual circumstances, it wouldn't be too hard to imagine. So there's not going to be anyone getting cast aside per se once feelings have been established. But that's still further down the road, obviously. Also, expect background pairings that do not include Byleth nor Bylara. Hope that clears it up for anyone who was still confused. I doubt I'll keep addressing it much after this so I don't get too tedious about it.**

**I was pleased with the way the introductions went for the most part, and glad I got to sneak in some Black Eagles characters. Then again there was never any plan to exclude them. The rest of the members of that House will probably pop up next chapter. In fact I want to phase in even more bonding between all three Houses as a whole than was originally shown in the games. **

**Hope everyone enjoys their holidays if you celebrate them, and reviews are very appreciated. **


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